quantic emba capstone project

Quantic Executive MBA

Last Updated on September 15, 2022

I recently completed the Quantic Executive MBA program. Here’s all my thoughts in a mini review as well as supplemental resources which make the program even better.

About MBAs in general

There’s a bit of hating out there of the MBA these days. I’ve heard it suggested that an MBA kills your creativity. I don’t think this is true.

For a while I was doing the read your way to an MBA autodidactic approach. (This is just what it sounds like, you simply read a tonne of business books ).

Also I read The Personal MBA a while back and it was a great overview of principles.

On top of that I’ve started businesses in both Australia and the USA, which has been quite educational!

Even so, after all that, I’ve still gone on to do a more formal Executive MBA.

About the Quantic Executive MBA (EMBA)

You can find out general information about The Quantic Executive MBA program here .

I was drawn to Quantic predominately for practical reasons. The online, mobile first, asynchronous delivery convenience was very appealing to me because of a bit of pandemic displacement, not to mention life with a newborn.

However as I have progressed through the program, I’ve noticed other benefits. One thing I really like about the Quantic EMBA program is that it focuses on one subject at a time, which allows you to deep dive into an area — instead of running a few subjects in parallel like some programs do.

The lesson content is for the most part excellent in its simplicity and accessibility — if you are new to any of the subject areas it breaks down concepts really well. However, I’ve found it really useful to supplement the coursework with some additional book and video content. This helps to consolidate the ideas, but also to get out of the shallows and go a bit deeper.

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Quantic Companion Resource List

All the extra stuff that i consumed to enhance my quantic executive mba.

I thought I’d pull together all the extra resources I used in this one place, and update it over time. Enjoy! And get in touch if you have something I should add. (J ulia Clavien on LinkedIn is a good place.)

Markets & Economies

This subject matter wasn’t entirely new, so it was a good chance to consolidate and deepen my understanding.

🎥 For a nice summary of concepts,  How the Economic Machine Works is a short and enjoyable must-watch during this module. You could also watch History of Ideas – Capitalism .

🎥 Capital in the 21st Century . I’ve been trying to read this book for years… It’s been a bit of a struggle for me. I generally prefer to read the book before watching the movie — but in this case it was the reverse, the lighter format of the documentary paved the way! Watch the Capital in the 21st Century documentary on Netflix first if you’re like me , nope it’s not on Netflix anymore, but you can find it on Amazon Prime video here .

📖 And then revisit the  Capital in the 21st Century book on (I did it on Audible ).

📖 Also if you’re ever going to read The Wealth of Nations , now’s a great time.

I’ve studied accounting, as well as looked after the bookkeeping and accounting for my own businesses over the years, and I still found debits and credits tricky! 😵

The additional resources below helped me through.

🎥 Debits and credits. This video was crucial for me , the technique he explains finally helped me get debits and credits right consistently!

📖  The Lemonade Stand   is a truly excellent book. I think it’s aimed at children, but don’t let that dissuade you if you want a good primer on accounting concepts! It takes you back to super basics — it really simplifies things and is surprisingly quite an enjoyable read.

Data and Decisions

I didn’t expect to find this so challenging given I’ve got a reasonable background in probability and stats! I had to refresh on a few things.

🎥 If you need more on the basic’s Dr Nic on YouTube is one of the best. I watched a bunch of her videos as a fun refresher.

📖 Nassim Taleb’s books are full of fascinating probability education. I first came across his writing when I read  The Black Swan  a while ago, and it blew my mind — I was an instant fan. His other books are also excellent. The author puts them  in this order as a set :

• Fooled By Randomness
• The Black Swan
• Antifragile
• The Bed of Procrustes
• Skin in the Game

You might not read them all this month, but they should be high on your list.

🔖 The Stat Trek calculators are handy to bookmark for this module. Via Atul Pradhan.

Operations Management

🔖 This is a handy   Queueing Theory Calculator .

📖  The Goal . If you haven’t already read this book, it’s a perfect time. I saw a hilarious 1 star review for it that described it as  “subpar fan-fiction for operations enthusiasts”.  This is hilarious because that’s the reason the book is so excellent — it weaves dry concepts through a story. The story is admittedly a bit overly enthusiastic at times, but a great way to learn.

📖  Thinking in Systems: A Primer . This is a heavier read, but a classic in Systems Thinking, so if it’s on your list, it’s a great time to read it.

Leading Organizations

📖 For leadership I immediately thought of one of my other favorite business fiction reads,  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team . (Yes if you haven’t caught a theme here, I am a sucker for the easy-reading educational business-fiction genre.)

📖 The Innovators Dilemma is a must read, although I must admit I’ve always found it hard-going.

🎥 I liked this video on Blue Ocean strategy for a quick explainer.

Marketing & Pricing

I found this module hard-going. The content just doesn’t pique my curiosity like the other modules do.

I did revisit a couple of good book that do get me excited about this subject matter though!

📖 If you are in a startup phase, you will probably also like Crossing the Chasm.

📖 I also revisited my highlights for The Challenger Sale. I found this a useful read to crystallize some of the intuitive parts of the sales process a few years ago when I found myself spending a lot of time on enterprise tech sales. I highly recommended it for enterprise sales in particular.

A CHALLENGER IS defined by the ability to do three things—teach, tailor, and take control—and to do all of this through the use of constructive tension. Teaching for Differentiation The thing that really sets Challenger reps apart is their ability to teach customers something new and valuable about how to compete in their market. The Challenger Sale

🎥 I decided to do a little video refresher on Finance terminology and concepts before starting the coursework, which can be quite dry until you warm up a bit.

I watched this (admittedly half-watched, while multitasking on other things.)

📖 I have also started reading this one. (I’ve downloaded it, haven’t got very far yet.)

🔖 Investopedia is also an amazing resource. Here’s their NPV page .

Handy Finance Calculators

For the exam, I did use a couple of calculators to check my mental calcs/intuitions.

🔖 Time Value of Money Calculator – there’s a present value and future value calculator

🔖 Weighted Average Cost of Capital Calculator – WACC calculator

Quantic Specializations

I have a few resources that I need to add here that support the specializations.

Blockchain Specialization

I was already fairly familiar with blockchain because I work in data and hold some cryptocurrency, however I found this to be a really good primer.

For supplementary stuff:

🎥 This documentary Cryptopia is pretty easy to watch and does a good job explaining the tech and a bit about the politics, here’s the Amazon link if you have Prime it’s free.

Advanced Statistical Inference

Startup entrepreneurship.

I found this module ok. I’m not sure if it will make you an entrepreneur, but it does teach some useful language and concepts.

📖 The Lean Startup is probably still the best thing to read.

US Business Law

I really liked this module, as an expat in the US it’s been tricky to navigate business formation, employment law, and intellectual property protection – patenting. This course helped me crystallize my understanding of the business entity types available, considerations when hiring, and how patenting works.

📖 The Tax and Legal Playbook is an excellent read – it really helped me understand why an SCorp is so good, amongst other things.

Strategic Thinking

I found this quite academic, but interesting. The game theory stuff is super cool.

📖 The Innovators Dilemma is the classic innovation tome.

🔖 If you can’t get through them whole book, read this article What Is Disruptive Innovation?

Quantic Capstone Project

I have submitted the capstone. It wasn’t as tough as I expected. Here are my three tips.

1. Forget a big group, do it in a pair

My big tip is to go with a small group, ideally a pair or three people max.

I did the capstone in a pair with someone in my timezone and it made it sooo much more enjoyable that juggling a bunch of different people in different timezones.

I don’t know about you but I would be unlikely to launch any kind of business with 6 founders, treat this similarly.

We tackled a real problem that I may prototype next year sometime.

2. Research multiple ideas/angles

I really enjoyed doing the early research with my capstone partner into a bunch of different ideas. We had a list of about 5 ideas and after spending a little time on a few of them it became clear which one we should work on.

3. Pitch it live

We did a live pitch which I highly recommend -it is much more fun that recording and emailing to some faceless person. Also good for setting a deadline, read more about how I manage my procrastination in my productivity post .

Quantic Executive MBA - A Review

03 August 2021

If you’re reading this, chances are that you’ve thought about doing an MBA at some point. Perhaps you are hesitant about some combination of the benefits, the time commitment, and – most importantly – the cost. Especially considering many MBA programs cost over $115k… an absolutely eye-popping amount of money.

Hopefully, the experience I’ll share below might help you decide whether an MBA is something of interest to you, and, if so, share an option that you may not have considered.

I first started thinking about an MBA a few years ago. At the time, I felt I was stagnating in my career, and wasn’t finding many opportunities to keep learning and growing at my then company.

So I started thinking about doing some courses, certifications, or other qualifications. But after a number of degrees and a post-grad diploma, I had minimal enthusiasm to commit myself to another long experience of that sort again.

However, there was one major reason why the thought of an MBA was intriguing to me.

I had gotten this far in my career by improvising, exploring, and adapting. I’ve pivoted many times after encountering dead-ends in my previous careers. My career in tech didn’t start until I started my own small web design business, which then led to various opportunities that have taken me to the other side of the globe, and into a career I find interesting and fulfilling.

But as a result of this path, my knowledge of business has always felt very spontaneous, improvised, and limited by what I could experience at a particular company. And while I also read many business books over the years, it still felt like I was missing something that a well-constructed business curriculum might help address. I felt that an MBA might make me more appreciative of the many complex pieces that need to come together to make a company successful. And it would also help me understand some of the specific language used in areas ranging from finance, accounting, economics, to marketing, operations, data-driven decision making, strategy, and leadership.

So while knowledge was my primary motivator in considering an MBA, I also reflected on what wasn’t a motivator. Thinking about this was going to shape the options and appropriate path ahead.

I decided that there were a number of things about an MBA that held very little interest to me, although they might feel important to others.

Credentials

Doing an MBA just so I could say I have an MBA was of zero interest to me. A lot of people around the world have MBAs and EMBAs. I don’t think it’s that much of a differentiator any more. And you absolutely can get far in business and your career without one.

MBAs are often associated with brand names, such as Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley. There are some people that suggest it’s not worthwhile to pursue an MBA unless it’s with one of these top-tier institutions. The thought being that such a brand name on one’s resume provides instant cache and credibility.

And, you know, I don’t dispute that these names have an effect on people. We live in a world of brand marketing, perception, exclusivity, and hype after all. Whether we like it or not.

But for an MBA, this was not something that was interesting to me.

Recognition

I also wasn’t interested in doing an MBA to “impress” an employer or potential employer. Nor was it important to me if an employer recognized whether my MBA was from an important enough institution. For me, it’s all about the knowledge instead.

It often seems the desire to do an MBA is associated with an expectation of promotion, a pay rise, better opportunities, etc.

While these might be potential outcomes of an MBA, they weren’t a driving reason for me either. I certainly had no expectation that an MBA would lead to any automatic change in my career. From my own experience, great employers care more about the value and team-focused attitude you bring, not the letters after your name.

I say all the above simply to emphasize that my reasons for considering an MBA came down to the desire to learn, gain knowledge, and do this for myself, not for someone else.

But I still wasn’t sure whether I wanted to commit myself to a 1-2 year MBA journey (or 3-4 years part-time). So I did some research and compared the various options I had access to.

The options didn’t fill me with hope. The “cheapest” options I could find in traditional universities still ranged from $20k-$50k, while more well-known options started from $80k in Canada, and over $115k in the US. And let’s not forget these options often require you to quit your job as well, thereby increasing the cost even more.

But I often look for creative and/or unconventional approaches to problems. So I found one that seemed intriguing…

Quantic School of Business and Technology

Traditional universities are excellent at marketing their programs, making you feel that they will somehow transform your life. But often the reality is quite underwhelming, leaving you with a large debt, and filling 3-5 years of your life with questionable value.

But I digress…

Quantic School of Business and Technology struck me in that they were offering something truly different. The business school of the future, with a mission to democratize elite business education globally.

Founded by former Rosetta Stone employees, Tom Adams, Alexie Harper, and Ori Ratner, Quantic launched its MBA and Executive MBA programs in July 2016. With its innovative and disruptive mobile-first Active Learning format, and award-winning curriculum, Quantic felt like an interesting, unconventional alternative.

Instead of boring video lectures, stuffy textbooks, dated content, uninspiring assignments, traditional exams, or a padded curriculum that artificially extends the length of the program, Quantic was offering their program through their own proprietary app, which focuses on delivering mastery-based progression through bite-size lessons (requiring interaction from the student every eight seconds), case studies, group or individual projects, modern exam formats, and individualized feedback.

Quantic was also offering an online library, paid research databases, lifelong access to all courses, as well as career services and a built-in alumni network spanning the globe (thousands of current students and alumni across 80 countries).

With a price tag of USD$9600 , but with generous scholarships available (even reducing the price down to $0 for some students), Quantic was offering a truly accessible education.

And while other traditional MBA programs were offering a 1-2 year full-time program (or 3-4 years part-time), Quantic was offering an accelerated, 13-month part-time experience instead. Something that wouldn’t require me to quit my job. (A luxury that few of us can actually afford)

Did this all sound too good to be true?

The skeptic in me thought it did, but Quantic was offering an introductory Business Foundations course for free to give potential students an opportunity to sample its unique approach to learning.

So I tried their Business Foundations course and was genuinely impressed by how engaging and interactive their approach was. I was sold. If I was ever ready to do an MBA, Quantic was going to be my choice.

But then life got in the way for a few years, so I put thoughts of an MBA aside until now…

When the pandemic hit and we all went into lockdown in March 2020, my thoughts turned to how uncertain and unpredictable the future was going to be. I didn’t think this was going to be a hiccup of a few weeks or maybe a few months. The global scale of the issue convinced me that this would be a crisis that lasts for years. Having experienced a lot of personal crises in my life to that point, I wanted to do everything in my (limited) control to mitigate the new challenges that were coming.

And if life was now going to involve lots of lockdowns, I may as well try to make the most of my time indoors. A year was going to fly by (even if the first few weeks felt like an eternity). I wanted to feel like, no matter what, I could look back at this time and feel I spent it as constructively as possible.

So in March 2020, facing the possibility of lay-offs (as we were seeing in many, many companies around the world), I revisited my learning plans from years before and remembered how much I liked what Quantic was offering. By the end of March, I had submitted my application.

After being selected in their admissions process, I was invited to an interview, which further convinced me that I was making the right decision. Upon being admitted, I started my Executive MBA journey in June 2020.

And today, 13 months later, I am thrilled to be officially graduating.

So, what did I think of the Quantic EMBA?

Quantic was one of the best career decisions I have made. I absolutely loved it and do not regret doing this. I felt it was an excellent investment in myself, and, with a partial scholarship, even more so.

Quantic delivered on what it promised, something that I can’t say about a lot of my previous educational experiences, where the marketing never lived up to the reality (and left me with debts I was still paying many, many years later).

Strictly from a learning perspective, Quantic was, quite honestly, the best university experience I’ve had.

But enough hype. How about some specifics? What did I like?

Quantic’s app is modern, sleek, works beautifully on all devices, and is a joy to use. I loved being able to do most of my studying on a smartphone. In the mornings, during lunch, at night, at home, outdoors in the sun, or practically anywhere. No need to buy large, heavy, dated, over-priced textbooks either. Everything you need is delivered through the app.

The Curriculum

Quantic’s curriculum is well designed and snackable. Lessons are broken down into 10-15 minute interactive modules, making it easy to make the most of pockets of time throughout the day and week.

Combined with its engaging and interactive format (requiring interaction roughly every 8 seconds), I never felt bored with the content, and did more learning, and did so more frequently, than I ever did with previous, more traditional university education.

The curriculum is broken up into two main areas:

Concentrations

There are 8 core subjects that are mandatory:

• Markets and Economies
• Data and Decisions
• Operations Management
• Leading Organizations
• Marketing and Pricing

Specializations

It’s also mandatory to complete at least 3 out of the 9 available electives:

• US Business Law
• Startup Entrepreneurship
• Data Analysis
• Advanced Statistical Inference
• Supply Chain and Operations
• Strategic Thinking
• Advanced Corporate-Level Strategy
• Advanced Finance

Even though I only needed to complete 3 specializations, I enjoyed the program so much I ended up completing all 9 specializations. That’s something I wouldn’t have previously done in a more traditional university education.

Assignments and Exams

There were two aspects that I loved about Quantic’s assignments.

Firstly, I was given a choice to do my assignments individually or in a group. Many university programs force students into group assignments, with no regard whether this actually ends up being an optimal experience for some (it’s likely designed to reduce the grading workload for teachers). I actually focus and learn more while working independently – so it was great to get this option and really maximize my own learning. I already get lots of great experience working in teams in my day-to-day career.

The other aspect I liked was the format of the assignments. They were all very practical and relevant. From an accounting assignment involving writing up financial statements and then analyzing the financial health of a company, to analyzing the leadership decisions of the founder of ZipCar, to analyzing potential strategies for expanding formerly successful startup, Managed by Q. There were no forced, boring essays to write, or other assignments that have no real world application.

And the exams were also a breath of fresh air. All delivered through an interactive app. I’ve never enjoyed exams as much as I did this time.

The Capstone

The EMBA culminates in a 4-month long capstone project , which consists of two parts: a business plan, and a presentation.

I was really looking forward to this part of the program, as I wanted to work on my own business idea and dive deep into all aspects of it. I was so into it, I finished 6 weeks early. Once again, not something that would have happened in any of my previous university experiences.

I ended up writing a thoroughly researched 70+ page business plan for a business that I am actually contemplating trying on the side one day. The work I put into this also indirectly led to job interviews and a job offer.

I can honestly say that the capstone was the most enjoyable project I have worked on in all of my educational experiences combined. It was a great opportunity to combine all the things I learned throughout the EMBA, and apply it to something that had the potential for real-world value.

Duration and Pace

At 13 months long, part-time, the duration of Quantic’s program felt just right. I really can’t justify an education lasting longer than that any more, or being full-time throughout. Life moves fast. Many of us are are in quickly evolving industries, and/or have life circumstances that don’t allow the luxury to quit a job and study full-time for 2 years. The quicker we can learn things and apply them, the better.

But while Quantic’s program is accelerated compared to many other MBAs, the pace felt manageable. Of course, it did involve regular, consistent work and effort. But I felt like Quantic did a great job of eliminating fluff, by focusing on quality over quantity. As such, the material that was presented cut straight to the essence of what was needed.

It’s likely that more traditional (and much longer and more expensive) MBAs go into far more depth and repetition, but is that really necessary? If you end up forgetting most of the details of your MBA once you complete it, why bother spending years on it?

At USD$9,600 (but often lower with a scholarship), compared to $25k+, $80k+, and $115k+ options at traditional universities, this one is a no-brainer. Quantic’s EMBA has instantly paid for itself.

Why Quantic might not be a fit

But Quantic might not be for everyone. While the above highlights were important to me, I know that there are other aspects that might be important to others, and they might not get it from this program. Some examples:

In-person instruction

If you absolutely crave in-person instruction and guidance, where someone explains concepts to you and you have an opportunity to ask questions and get feedback from a human being in real-time, then Quantic might not be for you.

Having said that, this kind of education model does not scale. Sure, great teachers can inspire and engage, and we all probably remember a handful of teachers that left a positive mark on our lives. But there’s always a very real risk of ending up with a very average teacher, or worse. And nothing kills enthusiasm and motivation for learning quicker than a mediocre teacher.

Quantic has done a great job by removing that variable, and presenting a well built curriculum with interactive content instead.

Class interaction

If you crave in-person interaction with fellow students in a physical classroom, then Quantic might not be for you.

Having said that, Quantic does make an effort to offer various, regular (optional) Zoom sessions, from Ask Me Anything’s (with interesting guests), to book clubs, documentary clubs, podcast clubs, location-based virtual meetups, and industry-based virtual meetups. Combined with the Slack group workspace you get access to (with over 100 students in each cohort), and there really is plenty of opportunity for interaction and development of new friendships.

Ultimately, this aspect of the program is whatever you make of it. Be as involved, or not, as you and your circumstances allow. Just be intentional with what you choose.

Personally, I thought Quantic went into just the right level of depth to allow us to broadly cover all aspects of business.

But for some, I can see how that might not be enough. If you want to do a deep dive into every area in an MBA, then Quantic might not be for you.

But I would argue that level of depth is unnecessary. You will rarely need to go that deep in every area of a company that you work at. I find it useful to have broad awareness across a wide range of areas, and then go deeper in areas depending on the direction my career takes me.

I would also argue that the 4-month, final capstone project gives plenty of opportunity to do a deep dive, not only in a specific industry, market, and business opportunity, but also across all aspects of strategy and day-to-day operations.

Once again, Quantic is what you make of it. The opportunities are there to go deeper, if you choose to. Just like life, it is what you make of it.

What did I get from this experience?

My main goal was knowledge, and I got what I was after. While everyone ends up forgetting most of what they learned in an MBA (let’s not pretend we don’t…), being exposed to so many business concepts, models, and terms definitely stretched my abilities. I now have a lot of new knowledge and confidence I can draw on in future.

I also looked for opportunities to apply some of what I learned to my current company, resulting in creating internal initiatives such as one about measuring team health and engagement .

While I’m not someone who is obsessed with business and entrepreneurship for the sake of it, working on the final capstone project (a 4-month, 70+ page comprehensive business plan and subsequent presentation) revealed a strong interest in potentially pursuing an entrepreneurial venture one day.

The EMBA also helped me discover and reinforce a few areas that really interest me: operations, data and decisions, and building products. It helped me reassess the direction my career was going in, and to recalibrate it with what my real strengths and interests are.

As a result, this exploration led to a number of new career opportunities, directly and indirectly. Through fortunate timing, I accepted a promotion into a role that feels like a much better fit than the one I was in when I started the EMBA. A new role where I can utilize my strengths and provide an opportunity to apply some of the things I have learned during the EMBA.

Lastly, my EMBA journey became another way to connect with friends and colleagues who were interested in pursuing something similar. Some of them are now also pursuing their EMBAs with Quantic.

I continue to encourage anyone who has thought about an MBA or an EMBA to consider Quantic. I really believe that companies like this represent the future of education.

But Quantic ultimately gave me something even more valuable than an EMBA. It reawakened in me a desire to continue learning and growing. And that should be the real purpose of education.

The EMBA Concentration Exams (Class of February 2024 and prior)

What do the exams cover.

Exams are made available after each concentration has completed according to your schedule. The exams cover information only from the course lessons. You will not be tested on any information from corresponding projects or faculty webinars.

What are the exams like?

• All of the exams are open book exams. That means you can use any notes that you have, your Course Summaries, and reference any of the Valar courses in order to complete the exams.
• All exams are to be completed individually. 
• The exam consists of several lessons, which are similar in format to SMARTCASEs in that there are no open response questions.
• Like SMARTCASEs, your answer is submitted as soon as it's clicked. You will not be able to revise answers or return to previous questions.
• Also like SMARTCASES, using the "Give Me a Hint" button will count as a wrong answer, lowering your final score. 
• Unlike SMARTCASEs, you will not be able to retake any part of the exams.

When are the exams? 

• Exam dates are noted on your curriculum.
• You will have a full week (7 days) to start your exam, beginning on the given exam date.
• Once you start your exam, you’ll have 48 hours to complete it. 
• Example: If your curriculum says the Accounting Exam takes place on March 5, you may begin the exam anywhere between March 5, 1 AM PT, and March 11, 11:59 PM PT. Once you click "Start" on the first lesson, you will have 48 hours to complete the exam, no matter when you start.

How should I study for the exams?

You should study by reviewing the relevant Valar courses, SMARTCASEs, and Course Summaries.

Additionally, you might see review courses associated with some of the concentrations, like this one for Leadership Foundations.  Practice exams do not need to be unlocked, they are available at any time, but we recommend taking them after you have completed all of the coursework for that specific concentration. Practice exams can also be retaken for additional practice.

How do I become eligible to take the exams?

In order to be eligible to take an exam, you will need to have completed all courses in that concentration before proceeding with the exam.  Exams will remain locked until the scheduled exam period, to receive an extension or exception please contact us at [email protected] .

What is considered a passing exam score?

A grade of 70% or above is considered a passing score. Your score will appear on the exam course page after you complete the exam.

What happens if I fail an exam?

If you fail an exam it's no problem, we understand that it happens. Exams cannot be retaken, but you can still get a passing final score and earn your degree. Just stick to the schedule, study hard for future exams, complete all projects and proctored oral examinations, and give the Capstone project and presentation your best effort!

If you have any other questions about the exams, you can ask your classmates in the Slack group or send us an email at [email protected] .

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FEIG ELECTRONIC: Moscow-City Skyscrapers Streamline Parking Access and Control with Secure RFID

Feig electronic partners with isbc group to deploy ucode dna rfid security and parking access control solution in moscow business district.

Weilburg, Germany  — December 3,  2019  —  FEIG ELECTRONIC , a leading global supplier of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers and antennas with fifty years of industry experience, announces deployment of the UCODE DNA RFID security and parking contactless identification solution in the Moscow International Business Center, known as Moscow-City, one of the world’s largest business district projects.

The management of Moscow-City not only selected long-range, passive UHF RFID to implement in its controlled parking areas, it also chose to implement UCODE DNA , the highest form of secure RAIN RFID technology, developed by NXP Semiconductors.

Panoramic view of Moscow city and Moskva River at sunset. New modern futuristic skyscrapers of Moscow-City – International Business Center, toned

“Underscoring NXP’s innovation and leadership in developing advanced RAIN RFID technologies, our UCODE DNA was chosen to be incorporated with the FEIG and ISBC implementation of the contactless identification system in the prestigious Moscow-City,” said Mahdi Mekic, marketing director for RAIN RFID with NXP Semiconductors. “This exciting project represents yet another successful deployment of NXP’s contactless portfolio, and showcases our continued ability to meet the high-security requirements of highly demanding applications without compromising user convenience.”

“UCODE DNA is considered the only identification technology to match the physical protection of a barrier with the cybersecurity necessary to truly protect entrances from unauthorized access,” said Manuel Haertlé, senior product manager for FEIG Electronic. “As a respected contactless payment technology company, FEIG applies security know-how from its payment terminals, which are fully certified according to the latest high-class security standards, into our RFID systems. FEIG vehicle access control RFID readers incorporate advanced secure key storage elements, supporting various methods for secure key injection.”

FEIG’s partner ISBC Group provided the knowledge and support for this successful implementation using  FEIG’s long-range UHF RFID . The resulting system enables authorized vehicle entry into areas reserved for private residential use or corporate tenants, while also allowing availability of temporary, fee-based visitor parking. Thanks to the cryptographic authentication of UCODE DNA, both the tag and reader must go through an authentication procedure before the reader will validate the data from the tag, which is transmitted wirelessly. This level of authentication is typically used in the most secure data communication networks.

“The system’s two-step authentication means that only authorized equipment can handle the secure protocol and the data exchange with the UCODE DNA based tag. Without the required cryptographic secrets, other readers would query the tag in vain, because the tag’s response cannot be interpreted or understood,” said Andrey Krasovskiy, director of the RFID department at ISBC Group. “On top of this, each data exchange in the authentication process is unique, so even if a malicious actor were to intercept the communication, the transmission is only good for a single exchange and the tag’s unique identity is protected from cloning.”

Established in 1992 and still growing, Moscow-City is the revitalization and transformation of an industrial riverfront into a new, modern, vibrant and upscale business and residential district. A mix of residential, hotel, office, retail and entertainment facilities, it is located about four kilometers west of Red Square along the Moscow River. Twelve of the twenty-three planned facilities have already been completed, with seven currently under construction. Six skyscrapers in Moscow-City reach a height of at least 300 meters, including Europe’s tallest building, Federation Tower, which rises more than 100 stories.

Partnering with ISBC and deploying FEIG Electronic RFID solutions, the Moscow International Business Center is delivering security and access control to its city center today, as it grows into the city of tomorrow.

About FEIG ELECTRONIC

FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH, a leading global supplier of RFID readers and antennas is one of the few suppliers worldwide offering RFID readers and antennas for all standard operating frequencies: LF (125 kHz), HF (13.56 MHz), UHF (860-960 MHz). A trusted pioneer in RFID with more than 50 years of industry experience, FEIG ELECTRONIC delivers unrivaled data collection, authentication, and identification solutions, as well as secure contactless payment systems. Readers from FEIG ELECTRONIC, which are available for plug-in, desktop, and handheld applications, support next-generation contactless credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, NFC and access control credentials to enable fast, accurate, reliable and secure transactions. For more information, visit:  www.feig.de/en

Founded in Moscow in 2002, ISBC Group provides knowledge and support to integrators for their successful implementation of RFID and smart card-based solutions. The company specializes in the distribution of smart card equipment, contact and contactless card manufacturing, smart card and RFID personalization services, and information security.  Its Research and Design Center is focused specifically on RFID, primarily HF and UHF solutions with NXP tags, and software development for the smart card industry. For more information visit:  https://isbc-cards.com/

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Moscow Launches New Smart City District as a Living Lab

• Written by Eric Baldwin
• Published on December 13, 2018

The government of Moscow has begun developing an existing district in the city to test nearly 30 new ‘smart’ technologies for urban development. Home to over 8,000 people, the district is testing ideas on smart lighting, smart waste management, and smart heating. The city intends to evaluate what impact technologies bring to residents and adjust its urban renewal plan once the pilot is complete.

When creating a smart district, cities tend to choose new, empty or even abandoned areas to build a district from a scratch, which is faster, easier and more cost-efficient. However, Moscow authorities made the decision to create one in an already existing neighborhood to bring top tech solutions. In April 2018, authorities began implementing technologies in selected buildings situated in Maryino district on the southeast of Moscow . The district includes seven apartment buildings with different years of construction from 1996 to 1998. Each residential building has a different construction type that gives an advantage to pilot the technologies under various conditions.

Andrey Belozerov, Strategy and Innovations Adviser to CIO of Moscow explained: “We didn’t want to build a district from a scratch as a test bed far from real-world settings. Our aim was to test technologies in inhabited neighborhood so it allows us to see whether citizens get advantage of new technologies in their everyday tasks. When the pilot is completed we aim to adjust the city urban renewal plan, so Muscovites enjoy living in similar technology-savvy buildings around the city in the future”.

The smart district residents can access smart systems responsible for heating, lighting, and waste collection. In total selected residential buildings are equipped with twenty nine different smart technologies. As part of the project the first charging station for electric vehicles situated in residential district has been installed in Moscow – it has already become the most popular charging station for electric vehicles in the city. In addition, free Wi-Fi network is available on site. Each resident can install free mobile application to answer the house intercom when no one is around or open the door without a key. The project aims to improve quality of life and provide comfort and safety for residents.

• Sustainability

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莫斯科启动“智能小区”计划，将为8000人口提供智能家居生活

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