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The leading technology company will work with the data storage company to put information on the hard disk on the blockchain to combat the counterfeit market.
IBM and Seagate come together
The US IT giant, International Business Machines (IBM), has announced a partnership with Seagate, a leading data storage company, to build a blockchain-based system that will help identify counterfeit hard drives.
The development reported by ZDNet will help Seagate in the traceability and authentication of hard disks.
The existing blockchain IBM platform and Seagate security technology will be used to build a solution that will help address the problem of counterfeit devices.
The solution will also improve security and compliance for company customer organizations that use hard disks.
The problem
As stressed by both companies, a critical problem that electronics manufacturers face is the threat of counterfeit components in the supply chain. Identifying counterfeit parts, it is reported, is difficult due to the lack of information from OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers).
Apparently, OEMs are reluctant to share data on the parts provided. Blockchains can record details of transactions that can not be tampered with on their distributed logs and potentially improve transparency and traceability in the supply chain.
System architecture
IBM's blockchain platform and Seagate's advanced fingerprinting and tracking features will be applied to the hard drive lifecycle.
Data generated at the point of production by Seagate Secure Electronic ID (eID) will be recorded on the IBM blockchain platform.
In addition, a digital data erasure certificate will be stored on the blockchain and will be electronically signed by the device under Seagate's public key infrastructure. The cryptographic cancellation technology of the company will be used to generate digital certificates.
"The ability to work with Seagate to combine the blockchain with advanced cryptographic product identification technology is what sets this work apart and points to the potential of the blockchain to reimagine the lifecycle management processes of electronic products," said Bruce. Anderson, Global Managing Director, Electronics Industry.
Anderson added:
Counterfeit electronic components are a global problem that requires an effort to be addressed at the ecosystem level.
IBM is working with multiple customers in areas such as shipping, food and banking to apply blockchain technology to their supply chain scenarios. Live Bitcoin News had already reported on Walmart's decision to use IBM's blockchain food traceability solution.
What are your thoughts on the use of blockchains for supply chain monitoring in the electronics industry? Let us know in the comments below.
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