Infrafon SmartBadge, A New Disruptive Device Between Smartphone And SmartCard

Startup demonstrates "pager killer" and dynamic ZeroTrust ID system at several upcoming trade shows

After 3 years of ambitious development, Infrafon team is proud to present world´s first interactive security SmartBadge featuring high resolution touch enabled epaper and unparalleled radio communication features.

Infrafon GmbH is a startup in Germany, founded by serial entrepreneurs and IT veterans Frieder Hansen and Brian Wyld. Both successfully exited successfully multiple times, once as IPO. They met in 2019 and decided to build a new class of interactive wearable device for a better work management. Infrafon was then founded in 2021 and has now started to sell their Smart Badges and Work Devices in first pilot projects in Europe.

CTO Brian Wyld, architect of the system, says: “Corporations and hospitals can now manage their workforce more efficiently and secure their organization by both visual and strong digital identity!”

Infrafon Smartbadge can functionally replace a smartphone, except making phone calls. The big difference is that it is managed and owned by the corporation and not by the individual. Infrafon devices connect easily by REST API, MQTT and JSON to any 3rd party application. The Infrafon Entity Server (IES) operates via user- written dataviews, easily produced in a NoCode and NoOS manner. As a result every user can benefit his individual set of functionality on his individual GUI.

Infrafon is not a device to be purchased individually but is given by an organization for temporary use only. It can be automatically allocated and dispensed at Check-in at a self Service Kiosk and has up to one week of battery lifetime. After use it can be given back at the automatic dispenser, data will be deleted and device will be reused after charging by next staff person or visitor.

The use of Infrafon SmartBadge as a power saving Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication device in a HPE Aruba infrastructure is probably one of the most disruptive functions. Old pagers, sometimes still analog or DECT based, can be now replaced, as power saving, instant real-time and IP based message transport is granted by Aruba BLE. And if the user once moves out of BLE radio reach, or BLE channels are too crowded, the system automatically falls back to any other preferred network, no matter if LoRA, LTE or WiFi. Infrafon integrates very nice in existing messaging systems like Ascom OPC Unite, Netsfere, Signal, TI Messenger, Bundesmessenger and others.

As the trend for security architecture in corporations is moving very quickly towards ZeroTrust concepts, the market demands for edge devices, granting the identity of each user. As Smartphones are expensive and difficult to handle by their complex OS (Android or IOS) a small, embedded and certified alternative like Infrafon is the right choice. Infrafon SEC version offers 3 Factor Authentication, a fingerprint reader for biometric authentication and a touch display for PIN entry. Standard JavaCard eID, SSI or eIDAS applets run on an NXP Secure element or on a customizable SIM. Infrafon aims for BSI certification within next 6 months.

CEO Frieder Hansen is convinced: “Gartner says, that ZeroTrust is the future. So, we decided to take care for the best-in-class edge device!” Infrafon adds even comfort to ZT by introducing trust levels for over-the-air FIDO and eIDAS multifactor authentication. The credit card sized appliance can do better than a smartphone. On top of that, connected by Bluetooth (Aruba), WiFi or LoRA, the device can dynamically do NFC on demand emulation for physical PC access, door locks and more.

Infrafon demonstrates at DMEA Berlin, (Bechtle) Hall 6.2 A-104, Hannovermesse fair, “digital ecosystems” Hall 15 A06 and at IOTSWC Barcelona H1 C15