Brand owners prefer to go for 100% secure value chain but it is a much-vaunted utopian concept because of humungous costs involved. Brand owners need to judiciously select brand protection technology weighing versatility with Cost. QR Codes are a very versatile track & trace anti-counterfeit technology.
Anti-counterfeiting technologies are evolving very fast but they can still be classified as following according to their application.
QR Codes authenticated in encrypted closed CPIGS platform
Technology for QR codes have evolved to a level where it can encode up to 3KB of data meaning 7,089 numeric or 4,269 alphanumeric characters in less than 10×10 Centimeter space that a normal smart phone can read. This is a versatile technology where QR Codes in themselves are open source but QR Code authentication happens inside encrypted closed platform and is linked to multiple forward paths.
Let us for example, look at how payments are processed by Paytm™. Customer accounts are linked to their mobile phone numbers, which are converted into QR Codes and authenticated using closed encrypted Paytm™ platform to perform desired actions from making payment to transfer etc.
CPIGS QR technology has an edge because of Instant verification, track & trace capability, secured encryption, and AI capability.
RFID
RFID technology is range bound. Cost and Peripheral range are directly proportional. Technology is deployed extensively in retail garment stores, identification of over speeding vehicle & fine collection, and toll collection.
RFID Technology has also been extensively used in modern warehouses but gradually is being replaced with newer digital technology of QR Codes read by compatible cameras. This newer technology enables seamless integration with QR Codes at Product Unit level to build end to end Track & Trace capability.
Digital Technologies
Digital Signature and Crypotoglyph® are emerging technologies and they can be used to make visible and invisible marking however high costs and difficulty in decoding are major deterrent. Users need expensive special scanners to read Digital Signature and Crypotoglyph®. Application of this technology is more relevant for high value products, critical life saving drugs or sensitive documents.
Holograms
Holograms have some intrinsic challenges, first the design needs to change regularly because in some countries it could be duplicated in less than two weeks, second how to educate customer channel partner or consumer to identify correct design amongst competing hologram artworks for the same brand.
Label printing industry is very capital intensive. Technology for Machine Hardware and Printing material like Ink, Paper, BOPP, Foils cannot change at the same pace as Anti Counterfeit digital technologies.
Most advanced anti-counterfeit technology
CPIGS is an anti-counterfeit solution providers and uses mix of technologies relevant for specific industry and counterfeit challenge.
