Gitney said. “Ask an audience if they buy organic produce because it’s healthier. Usually, 50% will raise their hands. Then ask how many know for sure that it’s organic. Everyone’s hands go down. Blockchain is an application to ensure those claims are true. If you can create and demonstrate a solution that can improve business performance and people’s lives, you’re going to differentiate yourself in the market.” EY Skye, a Norway-based solution provider is developing a blockchain solution for the seafood industry which will create a “digital twin” for every fish caught and ensures everyone in the supply chain—all the way down to a consumer—knows what they are eating and where it came from, said Lars Torp, partner at EY Skye. “Distributors, restaurants, markets and of course, customers should be able to trace each fish through a value chain,” Torp said. “People don’t want to feel misled. It’s a big issue. They will eat more fish and be healthier if they know what it is and where it came from.” The world’s largest blockchain implementation right nowmight be the ID2020 project, a public-private partnership that will provide digital identities for more than 1 billion people that currently lack official identification—a designation that can prohibit them from healthcare, voting, education and other human services, said Neeraj Satija, a co-chair of CompTIA’s Blockchain Advisory Council and CEO/ CTO at Concordus Applications. “That would give a unique identity to asylum seekers and refugees,” he said. “Blockchain is going to get wider, deeper acceptance over the next several years, but the time for blockchain to do good has already arrived.” IoT for Good With connectivity embedded into our TVs, watches, fridges and cars—not to mention our smartphones—IoT technology has the capacity to make a positive social impact everywhere. From improving environmental outcomes, such as reducing carbon emissions to saving lives through wearables that can track the vital signs of at-risk individuals, IoT for good use cases are far-reaching and provide benefits beyond the technology's original purposes. Canadian company Aware360 developed IoT technology to keep workers safe, including enforcement officers, social workers, construction workers, transportation workers and others in high- risk jobs. Not only has its technology saved lives by recognizing and sending the right kind of help when a worker needs it, it’s also averted accidents that are costly both in terms of worker well-being and productivity. The success of the product prompted Aware 360 to partner with Ignitech, an organization focused on building technology capacity in the not-for-profit sector, and spearhead Safer Communities, which brought IoT technology to the aid of vulnerable populations. “Safer Communities is using technology specifically to protect people who are at risk because of things like domestic violence, mental illness, addictions and homelessness. Different agencies came to us and said, ‘We work with this group of people who are in dangerous environments or situations on a day-to-day basis.’ What we provide is the software, the tools and the platform for them to respond when help is needed,” said Forget. IoT technology is also improving outcomes by providing municipalities with the tools they need to become more sustainable. Jason Walker, chief revenue officer at GPS Insight, a CompTIA member, says its IoT product allows organizations to track fleet
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CompTIAWorld | FALL 2019
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