Identity, Security, Payments, Biometrics, Smart Cards and Authentication News

China Taps Into RFID for Olympics

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Word has it China is expecting 800,000 visitors during the 17-day 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

As the mad scramble for tickets beings, organizers have announced that high tech methods will be employed to tighten security and fight fraud. Various reports state that seven million tickets available for sale will be embedded with a wireless radio frequency identification or RFID memory chip to help combat pirated tickets whilst speeding up entry into venues.

The core of RFID is a highly secure integrated circuit chip, whose security design and production process determine the high threshold of RFID technology. It is too hard to replicate. [end] 

Google is looking to bring its contactless mobile payments service to the UK in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics, according to eWeek Europe.

Google Wallet, which enables customers to pay, redeem coupons and earn loyalty points all with a single tap of an NFC-enabled phone, could be tested in the UK as early as the first quarter of 2012. French newspaper Les Echos says the company is currently in talks with British banks, retailers and distributors.

read more »

In the hopes that mobile wallets and contactless payments will catch on with consumers, mobile phone and financial services firms are looking to next year’s Olympics in London as a tipping point.

read more »

Leo InnoTech (LIT) and UPM RFID have carried out a large-scale item-level RFID implementation for a Chinese apparel company focusing primarily on warehouse logistics optimization.

read more »

The 25,000 VIPs, including athletes, coaches and officials, arriving for the summer Olympics in London through Heathrow International Airport will have a dedicated passport lane just for them when passing through immigration, according to a Daily Mail article.

read more »

VingCard Elsafe, provider of hospitality security and part of ASSA ABLOY Group, has been selected by Grand Hyatt San Francisco to provide a complete package of VingCard Elsafe solutions for installation as part of the renovation of its 659 guestrooms.

read more »

A journalist for the Mingpao Daily has managed to spoof a biometric self-service kiosk used for immigration clearance at the Hong Kong-China border, according to a PC Advisor article.

read more »