HID Global’s IoT platform, HID Trusted Tag Services helps Old Kempton Distillery knock out counterfeiters

HID Global, a globally renowned company in trusted identity solutions, has announced that Tasmania’s Old Kempton Distillery (OKD) has deployed its Internet of Things (IoT) enablement platform, HID Trusted Tag Services, to combat counterfeiting of its premium whiskeys, gins and other liquor products.

HID Trusted Tag Services

HID’s innovative IoT platform for brand protection, HID Trusted Tag Services, combined with the web application developed by local integrator, AusNFC, enables Old Kempton Distillery to guard against grey market activities and allows customers to authenticate their product at the point of sale. 

It also strengthens the appellation registration for the Australian island state of Tasmania, which boasts some of the most pristine water and climate conditions for manufacturing premium, top-shelf liquor products.

HID IoT platform

We were seeking the best brand protection technology and a solution that allows us to securely engage with customers"

“Old Kempton Distillery makes one of the world’s finest whiskeys, and with counterfeiting in our industry becoming a global issue, we recognised the need to take proactive steps to protect our brand,” said Robbie Gilligan, Business Manager and Brand Ambassador for Old Kempton Distillery.

Robbie adds, “We were seeking the best brand protection technology available and a solution that would also allow us to securely engage with our customers, long after a sale. We believe that HID Trusted Tag Services and the support provided through AusNFC provide just that.”

Direct, hyper-personalised communications

Beyond its anti-counterfeiting features, HID’s IoT offering opens a new and powerful avenue for Old Kempton Distillery to stay connected with customers via direct and hyper-personalised communications that helps the distillery build brand loyalty in a privacy-preserving, closed environment.

“We find HID’s solutions to be applicable to many different industries,” said Larry Hower, CEO of AusNFC.

Larry adds, “HID Trusted Tag Services is changing the game for authenticating brands and staying connected to buyers through a mobile experience.”

Integration with AusNFC web application

The distillery’s solution incorporates HID Trusted Tag Services into the AusNFC web application that drive the front-end mobile experience on customers’ phones.

An HID cryptographically secure Near Field Communication (NFC) tag is embedded into the label of every liquor bottle, which links to HID’s cloud authentication service.

Secure communications channel

By tapping their iPhone or Android phone to the bottle, the customer activates a secure communications channel that authenticates the provenance of their premium product, down to the actual bottle number.

Each tap generates a unique URL, preventing counterfeiters from copying, spoofing or manipulating the URL for false verification.

IoT technology for brand protection

HID’s IoT technology is enabling mass adoption of brand protection by major brands worldwide"

“HID’s IoT technology is enabling mass adoption of brand protection by major brands worldwide that are seeking to address more sophisticated attempts by fraudsters focused on imitating their products,” said Mark Robinton, Director of Business Development and Strategic Innovation at HID Global. 

Mark adds, “Manufacturers and consumers alike can rest assured that their product can be authenticated at every stage of its lifecycle, from production to the shopping bag.”

HID cloud authentication and NFC tags

HID Trusted Tag Services combine HID’s cloud authentication services with its trusted NFC tags that come in many form factors for variety of product shapes and sizes requiring brand authentication. HID’s trusted NFC tags are embedded into each product during the manufacturing process, and are easily read using NFC-enabled smartphones (both Android and iOS v11 and newer OS).

The advanced cryptographic capabilities of the embedded tags make them virtually impossible to be cloned or copied, and the extended security features in HID’s cloud authentication service provide privacy-preserving brand authentication and consumer engagement in a closed and trusted environment.