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CIO Bulletin, Top 30 Most Influential Companies of 2020, providing Blockchain Technology Solutions

The Future of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management 2021

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At the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress 2020 in Dubai, CEO Arman Sarhaddar spoke about the future of Blockchain technology for supply chains in the fight against COVID-19. You can watch the #AIMDigital video below.

It is no secret, that Supply Chain Management became a challenge during the pandemic: Supply Chains were disrupted and many other problems occurred. But these issues showed once more the potential of Blockchain Technology.

We need to take action, but people are afraid of change… So, what can we say about Blockchain 2021? And how can we build trust in Blockchain technology?

Blockchain AIM 2020: blockchain for supply chain and fighting the pandemic

Blockchain technology in supply chain management: At the Annual Investment Meeting #AIMDigital 2000, Arman Sarhaddar, CEO and founder of Vault Security Systems AG, appeared alongside speakers from renowned companies such as Siemens, Microsoft, Pfizer, General Electric, Philips, Agility, Cigna Insurance, Hyperledger and many more.

1. Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management

 

In October, Arman Sarhaddar, the inventor of ivault, was personally invited by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to speak at #AIMDigital 2020.

In this article you will find a summary of his impressive speech “Future of Blockchain and its Impact on Supply Chain and fighting the Pandemic”. We will also provide you with further information about the topic.

The Annual Investment Meeting is a special event for technological innovations and interested investors from all around the world. We were honored to have this great chance to be heard and to connect with new partners.

Here you can watch the video recording of the transmission on October 21, 2020:

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2. Challenges in Supply Chain Management

 

The pandemic has forced us to make changes in many areas. But above all, COVID-19, truly a catalyst of digitalization, forces us to be open to these changes.

To understand the impact of COVID-19, Arman takes one step back first: to the time before the pandemic.

For several years pre-COVID, consumers have already been more and more concerned with quality, sustainability and climate impact of products. For example, more people buy regional and organic food. Certifications, quality assurances and supply chain in general, has become a topic for consumers.

Mainly, production conditions help consumers to evaluate products in concrete terms. Thus, a lack of supply chain transparency can also have a negative impact on their purchasing decision.

However, seals and certificates only partially fulfill consumers’ wishes for more transparency. Sometimes even certified products were not up to standards, for example in regard to organic certifications. Thus, governments are now establishing frameworks to dictate to companies quality requirements, which are slowly becoming more popular.

 

3. Impact of COVID-19 on Blockchain

 

At the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, the shortcomings of many supply chains were exposed.

There were many serious disruptions, for example in the supply of food. Supply bottlenecks in the pharmaceutical sector also became more serious.

Consumer behavior and regulations created challenges and requirements. And so did COVID. COVID-19 has created many problems, but also opportunities for change. As bad as the pandemic was and still is, these problems give companies the opportunity to revise processes and tackle inefficiencies.

This is exactly where Blockchain technology can help:

It provides platforms for the transmission and data exchange with the highest reliability and cybersecurity (#InfoSec). It provides platforms for process optimization and automatizations. And it can make different systems interoperable, to work together in a much more efficient way.

Undoubtfully, the digitalization, which is still far behind in many industries, has been fueled by the pandemic in all sectors. COVID-19 has boosted the realization of the immense potential of Blockchain technology.

The grave disruptions many businesses encountered made it obvious that there is a need for the implementation of such innovative solutions for supply chain management.

Arzneimittelfälschungen-Coronavirus

Blockchain technology against counterfeit drugs on the Internet: In the pandemic, more pharmaceutical products are ordered online. With ivault, the end consumer himself can perform a simple authenticity check with any conventional smartphone to ensure that a purchased product is an original.

 

4. The Future of Blockchain technology

 

Nevertheless, we have to keep in mind, for supply chain management and optimization, Blockchain technology is not enough on its own. It can provide astonishing links, connections and integrations.

But to use the full potential of Blockchain technology, we need 3 things:

  1. to provide standards in data integration and exchange,
  2. to meet transparency and privacy requirements of companies, clients and regulators, for example with permissioned systems, and
  3. to connect Blockchain with other technologies, such as NFC, GPS, etc.

Thus, at Vault Security Systems AG, we are combining permissioned blockchains with technologies such as NFC, RFID, GNSS, GPS. Working with permissioned blockchains meets all requirements:

  • Companies decide what and how much to disclose.
  • Clients can rely on privacy.
  • Regulations can be met without compromising security.

When speaking about building trust, what ivault for supply chain management provides, is: A secure ledger for data exchange, where companies can decide what they want to share with each other, and with everyone else, while the data companies decide to keep private is encrypted with the best available security.

P.S. If you would like to learn more about ivault, please read our article about our news from Silicon Valley: CIO Applications rates ivault among the Top 10 Blockchain Solutions of 2020.

Besides Supply Chain Management, there are many other areas of application for Blockchain technology. In the pandemic, healthcare is another focus of the Blockchain pioneers.

Blockchain could have prevented, what just happened in Finnland: According to CNN, patients have been blackmailed after their sensitive health data, namely psychotherapy records, were stolen by hackers.

Following Dr. Efrat Shefer (Philips), Jerome Droesch (Cigna Insurance) and Sinan Atlig (Pfizer) for example, who, along with CEO Arman Sarhaddar, also acted as #AIMDigital Speakers, the pandemic accelerates the adoption of new technologies in healthcare as well. Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Blockchain play a central role.

Fälschungsschutz Blockchain Supply Chain 2020

Blockchain 2021: The general public’s confidence in Blockchain technology will increase dramatically once end users see Blockchain in their everyday lives. In the supermarket. In the pharmacy. At the doctor’s. Or at home. The question is not if, but when it will happen.

 

5. Outlook: Building trust in Blockchain 2021

 

Despite all this, a large number of companies are still struggling. What is holding them back?

One of the main problems is the lack of trust in Blockchain technology. A lot of people (and decision makers) are afraid of change. They are reluctant to implement new technologies that they cannot fully grasp.

Blockchain technology is still seen in connection with cryptocurrencies and FinTech. However, today’s Blockchain solutions like our product ivault are more energy efficient, sustainable and scalable than the old algorithms of some cryptocurrencies. Furthermore our Blockchain app is GDPR compliant.

What many companies do not know is how easy it is to implement Blockchain technology: It can be added to an existing Supply Chain Management system. Established processes do not have to be reinvented from the bottom, but can be retained and optimized using Blockchain technology.

In order to strengthen the confidence of companies, decision makers have to be more educated about the advantages of Blockchain technology. They do not have to understand every technical detail.

These advantages can be summarized in 3 core statements:

  • Blockchain means increased efficiency in various areas.
  • Blockchain brings information security at the highest level.
  • Blockchain is a clear competitive advantage – especially, for those who act fast…

On the other hand, public trust will significantly increase when end users see Blockchain in their everyday life. Online and offline. In banking or trading applications. In certificates for quality, origin and production conditions of everyday consumer goods such as food.

In the supermarket. In the pharmacy. At the family doctor. At home.

The question is not if, but when  it will happen.

 

P.S. Here is the Thank You Letter, we received from Dubai a few days ago – along with an invitation to join the Annual Investment Meeting again next year. We are looking forward to seeing you there in 2021!

Annual Investment Meeting Thank You Letter for Speaker Arman Sarhaddar

Annual Investment Meeting 2020: Thank You Letter for Speaker Arman Sarhaddar, inventor of the Blockchain app ivault.

 

Fälschungsschutz Blockchain Supply Chain 2020

Counterfeit Protection with Blockchain Supply Solutions
… a Competitive Advantage?

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ivault secures supply chains and fights counterfeit and fraud using blockchain technology. Now, according to CIO Bulletin we are among the 30 Most Influential Companies of the Year 2020.

The interview with CIO Bulletin below focuses on counterfeit protection and fraud prevention in B2B, which is also the basis for our B2C platform, a global lost and found database based on blockchain. We also provide you with the 7 main benefits of our innovative, scalable and sustainable blockchain solution for supply chain management – altogether a major competitive advantage for companies.

The counterfeiting market is not only causing trouble for manufacturers of luxury goods. Pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies and patients who are dependent on drug treatment also suffer from the consequences of counterfeit products.

Unfortunately, fatal incidents occur time and again.

Fälschungsschutz Blockchain Supply Chain 2020

Blockchain for counterfeit protection and supply chain transparency: Everyone talks about Bitcoin, but there is much more to blockchain than cryptocurrencies. Soon the first corona vaccines are on the market… as well as counterfeit drugs. ivault for supply chains is one of the best solutions available in the fight against fraud and counterfeiting.

Blockchain for supply chain management

 

Earlier this year Vault Security Systems AG was recognized by CIO Applications from Silicon Valley as one of the best blockchain solution providers in 2020.

Last month CIO Bulletin approached us as well. CIO Bulletin is a leading platform and central resource for information about business & IT executives. Technological innovations are at the forefront of its print and online productions. Decision makers receive support to help them make the right choice in shaping new corporate strategies and achieving corporate goals.

The initial situation: Today’s standards in counterfeit protection can hardly compete with the booming counterfeiting market. The consequences are not only financial losses for companies. Cheap counterfeit clothes, for example, are produced under environmentally harmful and inhumane conditions. Above all, however, it is the production and distribution of counterfeit drugs that causes health damage and deaths.

In particular, the current situation around COVID-19 is shamelessly exploited. There are already warnings about fake news and fake vaccinations in every country. But since lockdown, people also order a lot of other drugs over the Internet, which is teeming with bogus and fake drugs.

This is where we must take action as quickly as possible! In order to be superior to the counterfeiters, a technological innovation like our B2B solution is urgently needed.

According to the experts at CIO Bulletin, we are therefore one of the 30 Most Influential Companies of the Year 2020.

 

Competitive advantages with blockchain technology

 

ivault‘s mission is to establish a new standard in counterfeit protection with the help of blockchain technology – for every company, every product and every single consumer.

We have summarized the 7 key benefits of ivault below, so you see the competitive advantage companies can gain by implementing the ivault blockchain:

1. Sustainable blockchain solution

Our Blockchain has nothing to do with FinTech and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Bitcoin Mining is known for its environmental impact and high energy consumption. The distributed ledger technology can also be implemented in an environmentally friendly way as in our case: We need just as much energy as your computer at home uses, when you access the Internet.

The supply chain transparency provided by our blockchain solution can also be used to inspect production conditions in terms of sustainability. On top of that, the ivault blockchain can be integrated into an existing supply chain management system to increase counterfeit protection. This is what we did for the Swiss company Golisan.

Supply Chain Fälschungssicherheit bei Golisan: Die Nahrungsergänzungsmittel von Golisan haben nun das ivault verified Label auf der Produktverpackung und je einen eigenen QR-Code auf der Etikette.

Supply chain management and counterfeit protection at Golisan: Golisan food supplements now have the ivault verified label on the product packaging and a unique QR code on each product’s label.

2. Scalable blockchain solution

Our blockchain for supply chains is scalable. We can perform 100,000 transactions per second when needed. In comparison, scalability in the crypto sector has become one of the biggest challenges, especially for Bitcoin and Ethereum. This is due to the somewhat outdated, energy-consuming proof-of-work algorithm. ivault, on the other hand, does NOT use this algorithm.

3. Cybersecurity (InfoSec)

With blockchain, data is stored in a decentralized manner, which increases cybersecurity immensely compared to other technologies. All entries are individually encrypted. This means that once information has been entered, it can no longer be changed or tampered with. This is the highest possible level of information security nowadays.

In comparison, most companies store important data on a centralized server, that is: all in one place. This server can easily be hacked – something we hear about almost every day. If it crashes due to a hacker attack, the company itself might no longer be able to access its own data. Costumers, on the other hand, complain that they cannot access the company’s digital services anymore.

Thanks to the distribution of data to several nodes (individual computers) in a global network such attacks are no longer possible with our blockchain application.

On top of being one of the most secure technology available so far, the blockchain is anonymous. We do not steal data from our users. More about the advantages of blockchain technology can be found here.

4. Supply chain transparency and traceability

Thanks to ivault, every production step in the supply chain is traceable. For this purpose, each entry is time stamped. The manufacturer knows at any time where a product is located, from the supplier to the distributor and the final destination, the end consumer. In this way, it can be easy to trace where counterfeit products infiltrated the distribution chain.

In this way, the entire supply chain will also be much more transparent. The modern end consumer thinks about manufacturing conditions, e.g. sustainability a lot. The manufacturer can use our B2B solution to provide the environmentally conscious consumers with the desired transparency regarding production conditions.

If a buyer scans the QR code on a Golisan product, he gets all information about the ingredients, our suppliers, etc. – full transparency. The Swiss company is thus unrivaled on the market for food supplement…

5. Consumer trust

All of this has a positive effect on the relationship with the customer as well. ivault is a new way of connecting, a connection between manufacturer and consumer. The blockchain-based communication channel can increase trust in a brand even after previous damage caused by counterfeiting. This can also help rebuild the companies’ image and increase brand awareness.

6. Damage reduction

Financial losses are reduced because counterfeit products can be detected much earlier – before any major damage is done. End users are also less likely to be harmed by cheaply produced imitations such as counterfeit drugs.

Corona Medikamente Fälschungen, Fälschungsschutz Supply Chain

Whether we talk about imitations of branded clothing contaminated with harmful substances, counterfeit medicines or faulty replicas of spare parts for motor vehicles or even airplanes: Counterfeit products have serious consequences for us and our entire environment. Solutions for supply chain transparency, traceability and counterfeit protection are desperately needed.

7. Counterfeit protection and prevention

The fact that it can be traced where the counterfeiters have infiltrated a supply chain also serves to prevent counterfeiting attempts. The efficiency of the blockchain in terms of traceability and supply chain transparency is an effective deterrent, because counterfeiters do not want to stumble into the spotlight of such a superior technology for counterfeit detection…

For companies like Golisan, who have already implemented our technology, this competitive advantage is very important. ivault enables them to build a new relationship of trust with customers.

For the competition, on the other hand, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make up for this deficit.

Upcoming speech at 2020 AIM Congress

 

A few days ago a personal invitation by Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reached us. We are very pleased to announce CEO Arman Sarhaddar’s speech at the 10th Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai.

Blockchain AIM 2020: blockchain for supply chain and fighting the pandemic

Blockchain for supply chains: Register now for the the FC Session 8: “Keynote: Future of Blockchain and its Impact on Supply Chain and fighting the Pandemic?” on October 21, 2020 at 15:00 to 15:20.

“AIM Digital is the largest deal-making virtual platform for the global investment community launched by the UAE Ministry of Economy and the Annual Investment Meeting. With the theme “Reimagining Economies: The Move Towards a Digital, Sustainable and Resilient Future,” this major initiative is scheduled on 20 – 22 October 2020.

The very first digital edition of the Annual Investment Meeting will utilize virtual technology to generate, showcase, and facilitate the most attractive and secure investment projects and opportunities for investors from different parts of the world, providing boundless possibilities across diverse sectors leading towards economic recovery, transformation, and sustainability.”

Vault Security Systems AG is listed in the category “Future Cities” among this year’s speakers from renowned companies such as Siemens, Microsoft, Pfizer, General Electric, Philips, Agility, Cigna Insurance, Hyperledger and many more.

There are clearly no more words needed to explain the potential of our innovative application ivault. We hope you have the chance to take part in this great digital event.

 

Arman Sarhaddar iVAULT at InsurTech Summit, Istanbul, Turkey

InsurTech Summit 2019, Istanbul
Another Inspiring Speech about ivault™ Blockchain Solutions

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In short: At the 2019 Global InsurTech Summit in Istanbul, CEO and founder of Vault Security Systems AG Arman Sarhaddar, gave an inspiring speech about the ivault blockchain and the future of the innovative use of distributed ledger technology. The event was a great success for all of us and the compliments stacked up quickly… Read this article in German here.

Click here to watch the interview on LinkedIn

InsurTech Summit 2019: the ivault speech

 

In the last blog entry you were given a concrete example of what the cooperation between Golisan GmbH and ivault looks like. Companies can now protect their supply chain from counterfeit products in a very simple way and thereby guarantee customer confidence in the authenticity of their optimally protected products.

After visiting the World Economic Forum in Davos at the beginning of 2019 we also mentioned that parts of the management team were going to Istanbul to attend another big event: the Global InsurTech Summit 2019 in Istanbul.

Vault Security Systems at the 2019 InsurTech Summit in Istanbul

ivault @ Global InsurTech Summit 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey

As one of the speakers, Arman was once again able to eloquently and charismatically explain the ivault blockchain’s enormous market potential to his listeners. It brought people closer to the many advantages and opportunities that users of our global platform for the protection of material goods will benefit from when they register their products or possessions. This applies to large corporations and businesses as well as to private users who want to protect their luxury goods like watches, cars, or original works of art.

The InsurTech Hub Istanbul team then wrote:

Dear Arman,

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude towards you for your motivational speech during the conference held in Istanbul. Your views on developing an effective insurtech strategy and its execution have broadened our horizons.

Please accept our appreciation for such a commendable job. Every participant will take your words into practice. You have covered essential elements of insurtech strategy and your description of how to execute it is remarkable.

We once again would like to thank you for such a wonderful speech and hope to get a chance to hear such speeches from you in future also.

Luckily, this interview from the InsurTech Summit was posted to LinkedIn a few days ago. So we are able to gain some insights without having been there. Arman’s keynote presentation on topics such as ivault FinTech or InfoSec (information security), and cybersecurity was not the only focus of the team’s visit to Turkey. In addition, we also wanted to forge new contacts with interesting people who also represented their companies there.

Photos of the event can also be seen here.

iVAULT @ Global InsurTech Summit in Istanbul, Turkey

ivault @ Global InsurTech Summit 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey

But after this successful appearance the founder and his company hit the ground running and will soon move on to the Kapsch Security Day 2019 on 25 April 2019 in the Aula of Sciences in Vienna. This event deals with current security threats, as well as technological innovations and trends in the field of physical, organisational, and IT security. As you can see, it is an event ivault must attend.

So, in case you did not make it to Istanbul, here you have another opportunity to meet Arman Sarhaddar in person. But, if you don’t make it this time, your next opportunity will certainly come sooner, not later – guaranteed!

What is your opinion? Did you attend the InsurTech Summit in Istanbul as well? What was your impression? In your opnion, what other businesses should be using the ivault blockchain to protect their supply chain, so you can trust their products? Join in the discussion and leave a comment. We will respond soon.