Greetings,
I have found this interesting web page from the West Midlands ICT Cluster, and one of the most interesting pages on the site regarding IT Futures, a firm clearly focused on innovation and collaboration with educational institutions. This site outlines some very interesting and innovative technology, which I will outline below:
http://www.wmictcluster.org/activities/ict-projects/it-futures/default.aspx
Research
In the IT Futures building academic research in the field of IT and Engineering is being carried out that is directly applicable to SMEs, with the IT Futures consultancy staff acting as an ‘interface’ between academics and companies. Opportunities for further development can be explored in a stimulating environment.
The first major area of research is:
Payment kiosks (for multiple payments by cards/cash), together with:
- Smart card technology
- Chip and pin technologyIT Futures are working closely with several companies on this research, not as is usual in academic isolation. One such company is KPR Midlink Ltd. They have developed a payment kiosk for use by local authorities, higher education etc for the payment of such items as Council Tax/rents and for providing ‘on line’ information. Chip and pin facilities are required by their customers, but although the technology has been developed up to a point there are still areas where further investigation and development are necessary for the payment kiosk to be fully chip and pin enabled. IT Futures are researching the fine details of this process and assisting KPR in selecting appropriate hardware from a myriad of potential OEM suppliers.
In parallel, IT Futures is collaborating with KPR and Bradford University on the use of smart cards within universities and the charging of smart cards using unattended payment kiosks.
RFID
The second major area of research is RFID (radio frequency identification). RFID is about to enter many business arenas and is the next technological stage from bar codes.
The hype is that bread makers and microwaves will be able to read recipes, and washing machines will be able to work out what is inside them and set themselves to the correct programme. If a product has an RFID ‘tag’, machines in the kitchen can be programmed to read its code as soon as it is brought into the home. The tag emits a radio signal up to a 15 ft range. Washing machines can be made to read ‘tags’ on clothing labels and then set themselves to the right programme.
IT Futures is acting as the interface to enable SMEs to apply RFID in their business areas. They will provide practical support with the inevitable technical hitches that occur in a new scenario such as this. They are linking this research with their research into smart cards and liaising with researchers in both fields.
Visitor Analysis
The third major area of research is visitor analysis for museums, etc. Often, museums are ‘manned’ by volunteer staff or staff inexperienced with technology.IT Futures have already developed an intelligent ‘touch screen’ technology that allows museums and similar organizations to quickly and easily enter the multitudinous data required by funding agencies (e.g. how many visitors/gender/ethnicity/whether staying locally/mode of transport). This data is then analysed, producing a range of formats to be included in monitoring documents/reports
http://www.wmictcluster.org/activities/ict-projects/it-futures/default.aspx
We now see how innovative RFID, Smart Card, and Visitor Analysis technologies will have a significant impact on all of our day to day lives. These are all excellent examples displaying the clear benefits of clustering and collaboration. We have been preaching about the need for organizations within close proximity locations to work together for the greater good of the industry and to fuel innovation and opportunities. With innovative clusters such as the West Midlands combine with IT Futures we now see the fruits of their labor begin to flourish, leading to the greater good for all stakeholders.
Till next time…
George Sisovitis
