The tender for the procurement process, which is expected to last for 45 days, has started last Wednesday, as reported by Media Indonesia when quoting the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Purnomo Yusgiantoro. The winner of the tender will have 80 days to implement the programme, so the Fuel Smart Card programme can run from September 2008.

The Fuel Smart Card programme that aims to limit the consumption of subsidized fuel has been mulled over since last year and delayed, but it was only recently when the oil price shot up, threatened the economic growth and state budget spending, the Indonesian government decided to move forward with the programme.

In the programme, a smart card in a size of credit card and printed with a bar code will be attached to a location on a vehicle, depending whether it is a public bus, motorcycle or private car. Before filling up the tank, a fuel station officer should scan the smart card with a reader. A successful reading of the smart card will result in the vehicle registration number and its fuel quota data to be displayed on a monitor installed at the station. Based on the reading, the vehicle's owner can only buy fuel according to the remaining quota.

Similar to the parking pilot project programme executed by the Jakarta City Administration in 2003 and the Fuel Smart Card programme in Tehran, Iran, the Indonesian Fuel Smart Card programme, which is currently on trial, still relies heavily on the readiness of stakeholders involved. The Jakarta City Administration abandoned the parking pilot project after the project was swamped by operational problems in 2003, while the introduction of Fuel Smart Card programme in Tehran sparked violence last year. In both cases, the stakeholders were not ready to accept the introduced systems.

Fortunately, the Indonesian government still has a chance to learn from the past and make a better decision in the Fuel Smart Card programme. There is still a room for improvement on the programme that can ease the transition from the current system and prepare all stakeholders involved to achieve the best results.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: card, fuel, indonesia, project, rfid, smart, smartcard, tender

Several months ago, a consortium of GS1 Australia and RMIT claimed the achievement of 100 percent read rate during a two-month RFID pilot in Australia. During the pilot of National EPC Network Demonstrator Project (NDP) Extension, the team tagged each pallet to produce electronic proof of deliveries (ePODs).

Last month, the world's fourth largest retailer - Metro Group announced the completion of operational rollout of RFID technology in its 180 stores and warehouses in Germany. The rollout is the largest RFID project in the European retail sector after claiming 98.5 percent read rate in trials across its distribution centers early this year.

While we hear more good news about the successful pilots and rollouts of open-loop RFID applications, some RFID vendors have already shifted their efforts to cater the demand for RFID technology in closed-loop applications, rather than open-loop RFID applications in retail supply chain sector. The change very much reflects the fact that the current demand for RFID technology in supply chain sector is still very much less than expected. On the other hand, the demand for RFID technology in diverse close-loop applications has grown significantly during the past few years.

What is Closed-loop RFID Applications?

Closed-loop RFID applications is the use of RFID technology by an organisation to achieve specific goals or solve specific problems, usually through process re-engineering. Different from open-loop RFID applications that require tight and also often complex cooperation with different stakeholders in different organisations, closed-loop RFID applications benefit from the possibility to execute RFID technology adoption plans according to a time frame decided solely by an organisation - usually the end-user itself.

On the RFID system level, the infrastructure required by closed-loop RFID applications is often simpler than open-loop RFID applications. There is no issue or less issue of data sharing and ownership among different organisations compared to open-loop RFID applications. The RFID system security requirement is usually less complex than open-loop RFID applications.

The second part will provide some examples of closed-loop RFID applications that can deliver values for different end-users.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.

Closed-loop RFID Applications (Part 2)


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Labels: closed-loop, project, rfid, scm, security, technology

When the crucial steps of an RFID implementation project have been carefully integrated, the reliability of system performance can be guaranteed. A dynamic "feedback loop" approach is essential to any ability to provide such guarantees. RFID-services vendors with the requisite experience and expertise to take this approach will have no difficulty offering a performance guarantee with the systems they implement.

Automotive manufacturing and RFID

Increasingly, Asia Pacific is fast becoming the new automotive region, given that manufacturing and labor costs are far lower than the United States and Europe. For example, region-specific models of Chevrolet are manufactured in South Korea (such as the Optra), while Volkswagen and Skoda now has shared manufacturing in China, catering specifically to the mainland Chinese market with the popular VW Passat and Skoda Octavia (and now Superb) models. Even mainstream Japanese car manufacturers are relocating some of their manufacturing of region-specific models (such as Altis and Corolla) to lower-cost locations such as Thailand.

Some manufacturers have used RFID to keep track of the most critical (and sometimes most expensive) item of a car, the engine block. RFID tagging can help reduce misplaced engines (which must be scrapped due to the sensitivity of such products). It is possible that RFID tagging can become important in keeping track of major parts within a car, including the drivetrain assembly, in the near future.

Recommended approach to implementing RFID

Before implementing RFID, it is important to conduct a feasibility analysis of the supply chain environment. Setting out to do a conceptual model, with the right definitions, you should then analyze the process within your entire supply chain (all the way to your ultimate customer and include all stakeholders).

After creating a budget with an invitation to your vendor for demonstrations and any small scale tests, you need to conduct an analysis of your sites, and then have some of your personnels to gauge the usability of the RFID system.

You should attempt to launch your RFID installation in phases, with a test or pilot site, running for perhaps a reasonable length of time, to iron out any kinks in the system. Once you are assured that it will work enterprise-wide, then roll out the system to the entire site. It is also important to re-visit every step of this process of implementation, to ensure that you can improve or tweak the system as necessary.

Outsourcing to a partner

In an ideal scenario, or at least a very small implementation, it may be possible to roll out your RFID system entirely by your in-house team. However, there may be a wisdom to outsource the implementation to a professional services partner, to reduce possible problems during implementation, and also to create accountability and reduce your own exposure to risk. Why is it so?

Researchers have advised that unless you happen to be a data integration specialist, it is entirely possible that your information architecture will break, or affect the corporate ROI.

RF is also an esoteric science whereby specialized skills may be needed to diagnose the RF environment for a site, and to install readers and testing tag performance.

And since RFID expertise is usually not in-house, it may require an outside professional to ensure a solid hardware configuration that will provide better reliability and performance. Nothing beats real world deployment experience, and so for good professional services partners, they would bring to the table real experience that can solve deployment problems, even for pilot runs. Of course, it is important to ensure that your potential partner does indeed have such real world experience, and not simply a portfolio of clients who were "sold" the RFID hardware and other third-party software.

The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.


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1. Library

The RFID applications for the library include:
a. Entrance access control - The door will only unlock if it detects correct IDs.
b. Visitors Counter - Automatic counter system to count the number of daily library visitors
c. Anti-theft - Alert system to alarm the librarians if there is any book taken from the library without registration and daily books check-in/out system.
d. Book Location Checking System - Using portable reader, we can set the book's ID we are looking for and set the read coverage to find out the books' location.



Currently USM Engineering Campus library has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student library card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the library ID and transfer it to a host PC to access the database and check loaned book status. At the same time, the profile of the student is also updated.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1.Enhance library security
2.Replace the guard's work for checking out book status and counting daily visitors
3.Prevent missing books
4.Find lost books inside library

2. Health Unit (Clinic)

The RFID application for health unit at USM is for medicine monitoring and management. The Auto-ID system will update medicine’s data at an interval of time, to make sure their availability, expiry date and location. It can alert the nurse to process an application form and order a new medicine if there is any shortage of medicine or if the medicine is expired. This system will update the medicine data into database automatically and improve the management system of medicine at health unit. We eliminate the patient tracking application because it is an unnecessary application for health unit in our campus.



Currently, USM Engineering Campus Health Unit has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the student's IC number, transfer the information to host PC, access to student database, then check or update student's clinic record.

The benefit from RFID implementation is improved operations and saving time. Accurate and automatic data capture coupled with intelligent control leads to better security of medicine control.

3. Guard House

The RFID applications for the entrance gate at USM include:
a. Entrance access control - The gate will only unlock if it detects a correct tag ID.
b. Asset/Item tracking and tracing – Anti-theft detects whether an asset or item has an authorization to be brought out of campus. If it is not, several actions, such as guard alert, alarm activation and gate/barrier closing can be performed.
c. Vehicle verification – Unique ID for all students', staff' and visitors' vehicle. If there is any unknown vehicle, the guard can do necessary actions. If any vehicle parks at a forbidden area, the guard can record time, date and location of violation and the owner will get a fine.

Currently, USM Engineering Campus has two formal gates, one main gate and one side gate opened for entrance. There are 2 barriers with contactless smart card readers at the main gate, which function from 10:30 pm until 6:30am. Anyone crossing the barriers needs to confirm ID with a reader. The system replaces manual registration for student or staff at USM with auto-ID data recording to the database.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1. Enhance campus security
2. Improve operation and management system for guard
3. Anti-theft, reduce criminal
4. Trace unknown vehicle
5. Fine the vehicle rules breaker effectively

4. School, DU (Main Hall) and DK (Lecture Hall)

At school or lab, we can also implement RFID technology to track and trace assets or equipment for a room or lab, to prevent theft or missing equipment, and improve the registration process.

5. Others
For USM hostel, six engineering schools, DU (Main Hall), and DK (Lecture Hall), RFID application like door lock system and auto attendance record system can be implemented using a contactless smart card system. But it is not a cost-effective application that can benefit much from RFID technology. As a result, we eliminate the RFID application on these locations.

In spite of the current excitement, RFID may not be suitable for everyone. There are some hurdles we need to consider seriously before embarking on a real implementation of RFID network system for digital campus, including:

* Price
* Complexity
* Existing solutions
* Advantages
* Applicability

The current state of RFID technology based on a collection of comments and observations is:
* Confusing
* Lacking of expertise
* Still in learning state

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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In a digital campus, digital workflow processes are expected to improve the management and operational efficiency of sub-communities such as library, hostel, clinic, faculties and bank. Apart from that, with the existence of Wi-Fi hotspots in the campus; staff, students and researchers can access the Internet from anywhere and anytime in the campus and use various applications, for example: e-learning, smart classes, digital library, e-merchant and e-banking by smart card with RFID etc.

However, in our project, we only focus on RFID technology and figure out how the technology can give a valuable improvement over the existing system at USM Engineering Campus. A simple example of RFID implementation is that students’ valuable asset like laptop and vehicle can be more easily monitored in the campus. The system can alert the guard house if any monitored asset tries to leave the campus area without permission. Another example is a library that can have an effective inventory control. RFID reader can instantaneously identify the books in the library and update book information at the time of borrowing or returning the books.

The design of several applications in a digital campus, such as library, health unit, guard house, hostel and school will be described in Part 2 of the case study.

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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Most organisations contemplating to embark on RFID initiatives will face a challenge to bring most benefits of the technology, while mitigating the costs and risks associated with it. Think Big, Start Smart and Scale Up with Agility is the key strategy for any successful RFID initiative. Using the strategy, decision makers can harness the potential benefit of RFID technology, justify the cost of investment, while still maintaining the flexibility for changes throughout their business process optimization, thus lowering the risks.

One of the key components in the Agile RFID strategy is Start Small. Here are a few tips to Start Small with RFID:

1. Focus on Existing Infrastructure
Reusing the existing infrastructure can deliver benefits at minimum cost in RFID implementation. However, this aspect is often neglected due to the lack of knowledge in the integration capability and capacity between the existing infrastructure and the new RFID infrastructure. By identifying one or more application areas where you can still use the existing infrastructure, you have reduced the time and cost for RFID infrastructure integration, which usually represents the largest cost component. For example, if you want to use RFID technology to enhance the convenience of access to a room or building, you may want to make sure that the new RFID infrastructure can easily be integrated with your existing access control and security systems. If you plan to print smart labels and currently have barcode printers, contact your barcode printer vendors and ask for upgrade options and plans, before buying some new RFID printers.

2. Focus on Scale
Large projects are prone to delay and failure. Whenever possible, break up a large RFID project initiative into some smaller RFID projects. Identify which small project will deliver the most impact for your organisation at the shortest time frame with the least investment. For example, automatic stock counting in a warehouse using RFID technology usually takes shorter time to implement than real-time asset location tracking, but the value delivered by the stock counting application is significant and less costly than the asset location tracking. By executing your plan properly and showing the benefits of RFID technology through your successful small project, it will be easier to convince your Chief Financial Officer or Finance Director about the value of RFID technology.

3. Focus on RFID Core Values
Understanding the power of RFID technology and its limitations is the key to stay focus on RFID core values. Unrealistic expectations from RFID technology are not only misleading, but also reducing the possibility of unleashing its vast potential. In addition, as any other technology, RFID also has its limitations. For example, the use of RFID technology for real-time asset tracking in asset management over continents will require an integration with other technology, such as Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). Focusing the use of RFID technology for real-time asset tracking in a limited area such as warehouse usually delivers more value than real-time tracking over a great distance.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.

Reference

Tedjasaputra, Adi (2005). RFID Phased Approach Needs Improvement. RFID Asia. Retrieved on September 3, 2007.


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Labels: business, project, rfid, security, technology, tracking

While RFID Asia does not sell or manufacture RFID products, we do provide RFID professional services through Consulting, Research, Business Representation and Advertising. We help companies make the best investment decisions on RFID technology and products. We also plan to open a new RFID kiosk that will become one-stop RFID store to help companies across various industry verticals, government agencies, research organisations and universities in Asia Pacific to learn, select, try out and buy a range of RFID products and services from various RFID vendors. The kiosk will link up RFID vendors and consumers alike to conduct trading and training on RFID products and services.

If you are one of the end-users planning to embark on RFID system deployment, the following guidelines may ease the process of choosing RFID tag:

1. Define Your Goal and Requirements Clearly
Without a properly defined goal, you will be easily distracted by many tempting offers and marketing gimmicks. If you need RFID tags for pilot, define your pilot project goal clearly. Your pilot project goal may solve the attendance problem at your office, secure a certain area of your warehouse, or only to know how a wireless automatic identification technology works. After you clearly define your goal, the next thing to remember is to keep your requirements simple. For example, when your application only requires read-only (RO) RFID tags, do not be tempted to choose Read-and-Write (R/W) RFID tags only because they have more “features”, unless you already know that you will need them later.

2. Source Carefully
There are thousands of RFID vendors in the market. Some are good, some are bad. Some are reliable, some are not. It is good if you can get a vendor referral from a source you can trust. If you cannot get any referral and unfamiliar with a vendor, ask relevant questions to the vendor upfront. Make sure details such as pricing, delivery, payment, dead tags, return policy, tag life time, etc. are not left out. The more you know in advance, less surprises you will experience.

3. Standard is The King
As an evolving technology, the change of RFID standards is inevitable. As standards evolve, RFID tags and related hardware could become perishable. Upgrade option is always the best solution. Look for vendors who offer tag upgrade for reusable RFID tags. The good news is that almost everyone in the RFID community agrees that the harmonization of global RFID protocol and spectrum allocation is as important as regional harmonization. When you deploy an RFID system, make sure that your system conforms to the regional regulation and interoperable with other systems that interact with your RFID system. Whatever standard you use, make sure it is ISO-compliant.

4. Price is Not Everything
The lure of low RFID tag price often results in a disappointment at the end. Many will find out sooner or later that 5-cent RFID tags do not exist in the market. If your RFID application is based on the 5-cent price assumption, it is better to postpone your project indefinitely or find another business case that can justify your RFID application on different price level.

5. Try and Evaluate
Before your RFID tags arrive, you need to prepare a try-out system in place to evaluate your RFID tag performance. It is the best if you can set up a test environment in the actual site where the RFID tags will be used. Depending on the sophistication of your application, budget and time, you can simply set up a simple read and write test or set up a sophisticated test environment using a real-time spectrum analyzer.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: business, payment, project, rfid, tag, technology

Telekom Research & Development Sdn. Bhd. (TMR&D) has developed a Smart Shelf harnessing the RFID technology working on HF band (13.56 MHz). The Smart Shelf exploits the short-range RFID technology that can automatically identify books within a distance of 30 cm relative to the shelf.

The innovation began in 2005 when we received feedbacks from the patrons of the Multimedia University (MMU) library who faced a difficulty in physically locating catalogued books. The difficulty has prompted the idea to begin with our research on Smart Shelf.

The Smart Shelf research was conducted to facilitate library search and enable multiple book tracking in real time. The RFID tag technology with 128-byte storage capacity has made this goal possible.

At first, we tested the RFID technology working in UHF band to track books on a shelf. We found out that we could not control the signal spectrum to automatically identify books in a pre-defined area. Furthermore, we also found a number of invalid identification.

After we tested the RFID technology working in HF band, we got more accurate results and we only had to tune the strength of signals using a vector network analyzer for achieving a specific working distance from a shelf.

We also learnt that several frequency bands may not be suitable for RFID systems. Any vacant space in the frequency spectrum for wireless systems is limited. In addition, the available license-free or Industrial-Scientific-Medical (ISM) frequency bands vary substantially from country to country in terms of regulations. In our case, the frequency range of 13.553 – 13.567 MHz suits our application that requires a small amount of data reading at low speed over a short distance.

Our Smart Shelf was launched on 9th February 2007 at MMU in Cyberjaya. The Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Mustapa Mohamed was present to officiate the event, which was attended by librarians from all over Malaysia.

The writer is Researcher/Project Leader at Telekom Research & Development Sdn. Bhd., a company that provides customized solutions through leading edge designs, fabrication and state-of-art technologies.


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Labels: hf, malaysia, project, rfid, tag, technology, tracking

With the number of contactless smart card unit shipments in the Asia Pacific region at approximately 230 million cards and the Asia Pacific RFID supply chain market that earned $170.3 million in 2006 (Frost & Sullivan 7 Jun 2007, RFID versus Contactless Smart Card and Frost & Sullivan 30 Jun 2007, Asia Pacific RFID Supply Chain Markets), it is hard to ignore the steady growing demand for RFID solutions in the region.

Heating up the emerging markets, METRO Group – the world's fourth largest retailer located in Germany has launched an initiative called Advanced Logistics Asia program since last year. The aim of the program is simply to improve the flow of goods along the supply chain between China (Hong Kong) and Germany with the use of RFID technology.

Speaking to FoodProductionDaily.com, Christian Maas - a METRO Group spokesperson, recently gave a comment on the pressure on its suppliers for adopting RFID and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology: "Suppliers doing without the innovative technology (RFID and EDI – ed.) will bear the higher process costs resulting from a lower efficiency. Suppliers participating in the RFID roll-out will benefit from a preferred treatment."

The remark implies that METRO Group believes in 3 things:

1. The technology used by METRO Group, including RFID, is innovative.


2. RFID will help suppliers achieving lower process costs as a result of higher process efficiency.


3. A preferred treatment is an incentive for suppliers to participate in the RFID roll-out.

Whether these beliefs are based on facts or assumptions, all suppliers to METRO Group will have to eventually go along with RFID deployment plan. First, the suppliers will have to participate in EDI framework integrating NVE (Shipping Unit Number). This participation requires suppliers to provide NVEs for complete pallets and each individual package. After the EDI System integration, the next step will be the use of RFID tags at the pallet level. Suppliers will have to attach RFID tags to all pallets before delivery.

Faced with the requirement for RFID technology compliance, suppliers should ask the following question: Is there any rational motive that can justify the adoption of RFID technology further into internal business processes? The answer to the question is crucial for any supplier to take a strategic decision whether to implement RFID technology only for the sake of compliance or integrate the RFID technology further into internal business processes.

The answer from the 26 METRO Group's industry partners from Asia (not 30 suppliers or partners as published previously in various media) participating in "Tag it easy" pilot project has already been decided: compliance.

As a part of the Advanced Logistics Asia program, the "Tag it easy" pilot project was launched in late May 2007. The project aims to enable consumer good industry partners in Hong Kong to apply RFID labels on the shipments to Unna, Germany.

Basically, there are only 3 things that the Asian suppliers participating in the project need to perform:

1. Use Metro Link portal to order pre-printed RFID labels for packages exported to Unna, Germany.


2. Manually attached the RFID labels to the export packages.


3. Manually read the data on the RFID labels affixed to the outgoing goods using a handheld reader.

The recent press release from METRO Group reported that 40 companies have adapted their processes to use RFID technology. From the press release, it is unclear whether the 40 companies include the 26 suppliers from Asia or not. However, based on the facts that the Asian suppliers solely perform peripheral activities with regard to RFID implementation, and not further adoption into internal business processes, it is fair to assume that the press release excludes the 26 suppliers from Asia.

Judging from the manual labour-intensive processes that are still heavily involved in the project, it will be difficult for suppliers to justify that RFID is an innovative technology that can help them to achieve lower process costs and higher process efficiency. The suppliers involved in the project may get a preferred treatment from the METRO Group and detailed proof of good delivery, nevertheless, it is still questionable whether the preferred treatment and detailed proof of good delivery can actually justify the additional operational costs and process waste.

On the other hand, METRO Group can benefit tremendously from data quality improvement, process efficiency improvements along the supply chain, and real-time asset visibility & control, while the third-party RFID vendor - Checkpoint Systems, Inc. can profit from the use of their Check-Net® products and services.

The situation confirms the results of our previous study on RFID adoption in Supply Chain Logistics and Retail Logistics, in which a fair cost-sharing mechanism between retailer (METRO Group) and consumer good suppliers is essential for a sustainable RFID adoption to take place. In addition, it is also necessary for consumer good suppliers to be able to justify their investments in RFID technology with rational motives and justified returns. A specific business case for each unique consumer goods supplier and a customised solution to RFID system integration challenges are no longer nice-to-have. It has already become a fundamental requirement for a sustainable RFID adoption and sustainable growth of RFID supply chain markets.


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Biometric passports have recently been touted as cutting-edge technology able to prevent travel document forgery using a secure authentication process. These passports carry digital data about the physical characteristics of their respective holders, such as face shape and fingerprints. These physical characteristics, and their combinations, are the parameters or the determining factors in an authentication process known as biometric authentication.

Before the biometric authentication process can be performed, a recording process that transforms human physical characteristics into digital biometric data, or a biometric signature, is required to set an authentication reference. These digital data are usually encrypted and stored in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded or inserted into each biometric passport.

During the biometric passport authentication process, a passport-reading machine will read the biometric data stored in the RFID chip. After a successful contactless access, the data retrieved from the chip will then be authenticated against the initial, presumably genuine, biometric data stored in a database. In addition, a physical authentication process can also be integrated to increase the trustworthiness of the authentication process.

Most countries in the world are currently implementing or planning to adopt biometric passports for security purposes, including Indonesia.

As the world's fourth-most populous nation with more than 200 million people, Indonesia has decided to venture into the world of biometrics. Since February 2006, the country has been issuing what the government calls new biometric passports. According to the article, Justice ministry clarifies biometric passport prices, published by The Jakarta Post on July 21, 2006, the government says the biometric system, which scans fingerprints and photographic data into a bar code, has helped it detect 1,800 attempted passport frauds since its introduction in February 2006.

In addition, a press release issued by the sole contractor for the Biometric Indonesian Passport project, Digital Identification Solutions AG of Germany, dated July 12, 2006, from Stuttgart, claims that on average the new biometric passport system processes thousands of on-line passport applications daily and issues the passports in full color, and with numerous security features, on the spot where people apply for the passports.

"Being a German national, I sometimes would love to have my own government provide such user-friendly service to the public". says the CEO of the company in the press release.

Does this sound like an overstatement? I believe so.

However, I agree that the Biometric Indonesian Passport project is indeed one-of-a-kind in the world.

While developed countries are implementing or planning biometric passports with RFID chips embedded or inserted into them, the biometric Indonesian passports resort to bar code technology (the Post, July 21, 2006), which defeats the purpose of anti-counterfeit measures. Basically, it is easier to clone bar codes than the encrypted identification stored in an RFID chip.

Besides the security issue, it is also essential to guarantee that certain information in biometric passports is kept from unauthorized parties and specific privileges granted or assigned to the right people, which is almost impossible with the application of bar code technology. The biometric Indonesian passport system designer apparently forgets that secure authentication is the fundamental assumption for privacy protection and authorization.

In addition, the use of bar code technology also means that there is no unique identification system due to the limitation of the bar code numbering system. Bar code technology was originally designed only to identify a class of generic products, not a unique item, compared to RFID technology, which can support a unique identification system despite the numbering system being used.

Biometric (+RFID) passports and ID cards are definitely better, not having the basic security issues posed by bar code technology.

Nevertheless, the recent demonstration of biometric (+RFID) passport data cloning performed by a security consultant at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas could indicate that security risks in the use of biometric (+RFID) passports and ID cards still exist. However, the consultant could not change the information stored in the chip due to cryptographic protection.

In reality, there is no 100 percent security guarantee in this networked world. When you become part of a "network" voluntarily or involuntarily, there is always a chance that your security will be compromised. One sensible action you can take is to assess your state of security continuously, take several appropriate security measures and prepare recovery plans in the event of a security breach (RFID Security Threats: Your Cat is Probably Safe ... for Now, RFID Asia).

During a government forum on national IDs and e-passports for Indonesia held last June in Jakarta, the director for international cooperation at the Directorate General of Immigration unveiled a plan to decentralize the issuing of biometric Indonesian passports throughout Indonesian embassies.

Until now, there has been no country in the world planning or implementing a decentralization plan similar to the one proposed by the Indonesian government. It is certainly not about technological barriers. It is simply based on common sense and the assumption that the security risks of such decentralization outweigh the benefits of such a system in terms of efficiency. There is simply no country in the world that is willing to put its nationals and citizens on the front line of security risks and threats.

This article is featured at The Jakarta Post, Opinion and Editorial - August 15, 2006

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