RAIN Alliance has launched an initiative dedicated to driving the standardisation of RAIN Reader integration into smartphones, to be led by Dr. Paul Muller, who brings 20+ years of industry experience across wireless connectivity, cellular, RAIN, and NFC technologies to the role.
As part of this initiative the RAIN Alliance has created two new workgroups – the Smartphone Use Cases Workgroup and the Smartphone Integration Workgroup – and invite companies to participate and be directly involved in shaping the future of RAIN in consumer devices.
“The integration of RAIN technology into mobile handsets will be a game changer,” commented Aileen Ryan, President and CEO at the RAIN Alliance. “Everyone with a RAIN-enabled smartphone will be able to scan tags and interact with connected items, unlocking enhanced in-store customer experiences enabling up-selling, cross-selling, and product authentication. RAIN in Smartphones will even drive sustainability, as under the Digital Product Passport regulation, consumers in the European Union will be able to access detailed information on a product's origin, its composition, the manufacturing process, and recyclability without need for a second data carrier or the associated costs and complexities.”
This initiative follows Qualcomm’s announcement last year that it is working to integrate RAIN functionality into its mobile device chipsets, and signals a significant step towards the technology being used by enterprises and consumers to engage with everyday items, in the supply chain, in stores, and in our daily lives.
“It is critical that the integration of RAIN readers in smartphones is underpinned by standards to ensure interoperability and deliver a consistent user experience,” Ryan continued. “This is why we have launched our dedicated RAIN in Smartphones initiative, and I am delighted to have Muller onboard to lead these activities and work with members, handset manufacturers, and the wider smartphone ecosystem to drive RAIN Reader adoption, enable emerging use cases for consumers, and unlock new revenue streams throughout the value chain.”
The RAIN Alliance RAIN in Smartphones initiative will see the two Workgroups map out future use cases and associated business models, as well as work towards specifications, recommendations, and guidelines for integration into smartphones. Muller has joined the RAIN Alliance to lead these activities, having spent his career working for market leading handset chipset manufacturers such as Marvell and Mediatek and EM Microelectronic.
“Consumer engagement is the next frontier in retail, luxury, and healthcare, and the many other industries where RAIN technology already provides supply chain integrity and visibility,” said Muller, Leader of RAIN Reader Smartphone Integration at the RAIN Alliance. “As the leader of the RAIN in Smartphones initiative, I intend to leverage the expertise of the RAIN Alliance’s highly competent contributing members and work with handset makers and the wider mobile device ecosystem to make standards-based RAIN Reader integration into smartphones a reality, benefiting businesses and consumers and enabling a more connected, sustainable future.”
