The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from MyTAG is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.
MyTAG
BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
24 | CVD FIRE PROTECTION
ensuring we can share and benefit
from the skills of those we work with.
Alongside our accreditations, we also
adapt to the requirements of the
contractors we work with. For instance,
as many main contractors are passionate
about sustainability and reducing waste,
we have biomass heating systems and
solar panels to service our premises.
The Beatson Cancer Charity is one that
is close to my heart, and we proudly
raised over £30,000 from a Charity Ball
in memory of Owen, as well as running
Tough Mudder and participating in
various other fundraisers.
A secure future
While Brexit has caused uncertainty
across the UK markets, I am of
the belief that little will change
immediately, with it taking time for
whatever happens to come to fruition.
In order to adapt to this, we are
diversifying our provision.
A more pressing concern is the fear of
main contractors folding, something
which became clear with the collapse
of Carillion. In order to protect
ourselves from the complications
this can cause, we have learnt from
previous instances and ensure we are
always cash rich. Our cashflow is the
one thing I study every morning, and
this should ensure we are not left
vulnerable if our large partners hit
financial difficulties.
Skill shortage is an issue that affects
many industries but is especially
pronounced in Scotland. In the
past, we have worked with South
Lanarkshire Council to bring
unemployed people into our business
in order to tackle this.
We always look to train up new and
existing employees wherever possible.
All of our managers are currently going
through an NVQ Level 5 in Construction
Management and PRINCE2 as well as all
operatives being trained to NVQ Level 2
in their specificfield.
As we look ahead, we are planning to
continue to diversify and strengthen
our provision. We are an innovative
company and are always looking to
modernise our work. To this end,
we are currently developing our own
internal IT system which will fill the
current gap in the construction sector
for this type of system. If we find it to
be particularly beneficial, we will look
to promote this new system among
other SMEs. By continuing to diversify
and protect the market areas we have
already expanded into, I am confident
we can continue to be robust and
effective going forward. And all this
we do in memory of Owen.
As we look
ahead, we are
planning to
continue to
diversify and
strengthen
our provision
“
“
CVD, Omni Coring and
Omni Interiors team
25MYTAG |
FIRE & SECURITY
Operations Director
JohnCharles
Operations Director John Charles tells
The Parliamentary
Review
that MyTAG provides a trusted security solution
to safeguard people, property and assets. Providing
proof of compliance, presence and identity across their product
range, MyTAG’s products use near field communication –
or NFC – technology to improve operational security and
efficiency. John explains that MyTAG products have been
tapped more than 15 million times in just seven years,
discussing the firm’s continued success and what makes their
solutions unique.
The world in which we work has changed significantly in the last ten years, as
companies and their employees expect more from the spaces that they occupy
and opt for ever more flexible and customer service-led offers. At the same
time, there have been transformations in IT technology, particularly through the
internet of things, cloud-based systems and mobile technology. These advances
can be used to support workplace change, delivering systems and information to
improve customer experience and quality of services, while driving efficiencies and
improvements in security.
MyTAG was established in 2012, when our founder Mike George saw an opportunity
to use near field communication technology, which was well established in Oyster
cards, to radically improve operational processes. An opportunity to partner with a
leading property management company, to improve their management of building
keys, resulted in the joint development of an easy-to-use, secure electronic key
management system and our first NFC solution was born.
FACTS ABOUT
MyTAG
»Founder and Director:
MikeGeorge
»Established in 2012
»Based in Ivybridge, Devon
»Services: Security solutions and
property management
MyTAG
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
26 | MYTAG
Embracing innovation
Our patented technology is unique
because it combines proprietary cloud-
based software, with NFC secure tags
and geopositioning technology. There
is no possibility of copying or cloning
the data and while other companies
may claim otherwise, bar codes, QR
codes and standard NFC labels are
simple to copy.
The MyTAG solution quickly attracted
interest from senior managers in
a broad range of sectors, from
property and facilities management,
to government and healthcare, who
require stringent oversight of their
operations to protect the safety and
security of their people, property and
assets. Many of the existing processes
were traditional paper-based ones and
our innovation saved time and money,
with a system which can be accessed
constantly, in real time from wherever
you are. Exception reporting and
automated alerts also save time and
money compared to trawling through
paper-based records.
Our proof of presence solution
provides proof that a given person was
at a certain location at a known time.
This is used extensively for security
patrols, time and attendance, proof of
servicing and many other applications.
Secure NFC tags are installed at key
locations and the tag is activated by
a tap from the user’s NFC-enabled
mobile phone. This simple tap is all
that is needed to prove the person’s
presence, and if actions need to be
taken or information is required, this
can be communicated to the user via
their phone. Our proof of compliance
solution uses the same technology to
prove that all the appropriate checks
and testing have been carried out to
comply with relevant building and
health and safety regulations. This
includes fire equipment testing, lift
servicing, healthcare equipment testing
and many other applications.
Safety and security
Given the secure aspect of our
solution, it is not surprising that we
are seeing extensive interest in our
recently launched MyTAG Proof of
Identity. ID cards are used in a huge
range of situations from driving
licences, building entry systems and
construction site access permits, to
membership organisations and clubs.
The challenge is that most existing
cards can be copied or cloned,
MyTAG solutions
support hundreds of
major London buildings
Our ID card
system cannot
be copied or
cloned,
improving the
safety and
security of
people and
property, and
we were
delighted to
be awarded a
US patent in
recognising its
uniqueness
“
“
BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
26 | MYTAG
Embracing innovation
Our patented technology is unique
because it combines proprietary cloud-
based software, with NFC secure tags
and geopositioning technology. There
is no possibility of copying or cloning
the data and while other companies
may claim otherwise, bar codes, QR
codes and standard NFC labels are
simple to copy.
The MyTAG solution quickly attracted
interest from senior managers in
a broad range of sectors, from
property and facilities management,
to government and healthcare, who
require stringent oversight of their
operations to protect the safety and
security of their people, property and
assets. Many of the existing processes
were traditional paper-based ones and
our innovation saved time and money,
with a system which can be accessed
constantly, in real time from wherever
you are. Exception reporting and
automated alerts also save time and
money compared to trawling through
paper-based records.
Our proof of presence solution
provides proof that a given person was
at a certain location at a known time.
This is used extensively for security
patrols, time and attendance, proof of
servicing and many other applications.
Secure NFC tags are installed at key
locations and the tag is activated by
a tap from the user’s NFC-enabled
mobile phone. This simple tap is all
that is needed to prove the person’s
presence, and if actions need to be
taken or information is required, this
can be communicated to the user via
their phone. Our proof of compliance
solution uses the same technology to
prove that all the appropriate checks
and testing have been carried out to
comply with relevant building and
health and safety regulations. This
includes fire equipment testing, lift
servicing, healthcare equipment testing
and many other applications.
Safety and security
Given the secure aspect of our
solution, it is not surprising that we
are seeing extensive interest in our
recently launched MyTAG Proof of
Identity. ID cards are used in a huge
range of situations from driving
licences, building entry systems and
construction site access permits, to
membership organisations and clubs.
The challenge is that most existing
cards can be copied or cloned,
MyTAG solutions
support hundreds of
major London buildings
Our ID card
system cannot
be copied or
cloned,
improving the
safety and
security of
people and
property, and
we were
delighted to
be awarded a
US patent in
recognising its
uniqueness
“
“
27MYTAG |
FIRE & SECURITY
providing the opportunity for misuse,
and causing safety and security risks.
Our ID card system cannot be copied
or cloned, improving the safety and
security of people and property, and
we were delighted to be awarded a US
patent recognising its uniqueness. Each
personalised ID card contains a trusted
tag, and when it is tapped against a
mobile phone or other NFC enabled
device, there is instant proof that the
card is valid and genuine. When the
card is tapped, the NFC device receives
a URL with a unique cryptographic
code from the tag, which displays all
the data and pictures on the device.
Identity can hence be visually verified
against the photo on the card and any
detailed personal information, training
records and equipment use permits
can be displayed.
MyTAG Proof of Identity provides
instant notification to determine it is
the real secure ID card being used, as
opposed to someone who has copied
or shared the URL code, or manually
typed the URL into a web browser.
This functionality prevents a URL from
being used multiple times without a
physical tap, as verification will fail,
and also makes the tag impossible
toclone.
When the tag is tapped, its location
is identified, so every valid tap
implies “proof of presence” at a
known time, allowing time and
attendanceapplications.
As well as removing fraudulent cards
and providing assurance that the
correct person is present, there are
significant environmental benefits.
Cards do not need to be replaced
when personal details or qualifications
change, as these can simply be
updated in the cloud, reducing plastics
usage, while paper is removed from
the process.
The right partners
MyTAG’s success has come through
our innovative, but simple and
inexpensive to use technology,
combined with partnering to extend
use throughout the world. Finding the
right partners is critical, as they need
to understand the technology and
its uses, and be able to identify the
opportunities to sell it in their region.
We are fortunate that a significant part
of our revenue already comes from
outside our UK base.
The system has already seen significant
success: MyTAG tags have been
tapped 15 million times, showing
the huge increase in usage since our
inception just seven years ago.
Finding the
right global
partners is
critical, as they
need to
understand
the
technology
and its uses,
and be able to
identify the
opportunities
to sell it in
their region
“
“
MyTAG global use
locations