GS1 Hong Kong Launches Consumer Product Authentication Solution

If and when you first read this InfoWorld aticle by Carol Ko entitled ‘HK launches measures against counterfeit products,’ you may ask yourself, ‘What’s the big deal?” That, at least, was my initial reaction. It’s currently a limited area solution being used only at Hong Kong’s airport. But upon further thought, it occurred to me that this limited solution could be a template for all of Hong Kong and that a pan Hong Kong solution might become a template for a more global solution. Could this happen?

Here’s the essence of how this authentication system works, as explained in these excerpts from Ms. Ko’s article:

Built on the beta version of GS1 Hong Kong’s BarcodePlus’s website, the product authentication solution is a one-stop product quality information portal that will officially go live in November…The solution is based on an automatically generated secure VerCode which is unique to each individual product item. To verify a product’s authenticity, consumers simply input the VerCode hidden under a secure label on the item they want to check. This can be done directly by logging on to the Barcode Plus website or by sending an SMS message.

One last thing… anyone know what a VerCode is and how it works?