Blog

NFC & RFID Technology Created for 2018 World Cup
NFC & RFID Technology Created for 2018 World Cup

Aug 30, 2018

Leading-edge technology played integral roles in the 2018 World Cup, held earlier this summer in 11 soccer venues across the Russian Federation. The most prominent application was RFID ticket authentication. With over three million total tickets available for 64 scheduled matches, rabid soccer fans required state-of-the-art protection against the disappointment of acquiring counterfeit tickets. The Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA), which organizes the World Cup, solved this long-nagging problem by adding a printed RFID inlay on every ticket. Additional technology created for the game includes:

World Cup Ticket with RFID tag: As thin and flexible as the paper ticket stock and far more technically intricate than a standard barcode, these smart tickets were also programmed with ID data of the original purchaser, making them virtually impossible to duplicate illegally. During two separate scans at stadium entrances, ushers assured every ticket holder possessed the genuine article, thwarting counterfeiters looking to prey upon legions of visiting fans from around the globe.

RFID Plastic Beverage Cups: Once inside the stadium, as with most live sporting events, enthusiastic fans relish a frosty beverage while enjoying the action. Vendors at the World Cup venues treated fans to a unique plastic beer cup, enhanced with a small embedded microphone and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) lights. During instances of loud crowd noise, such as cheers for a soccer goal, the innovative cups reacted with corresponding bursts of colored light, creating an impressive visual effect throughout the stadium. Intended to deliver this novelty for only the short duration of a soccer match, the maker of these cups relied upon sourcing low-cost components to successfully deliver up to 10 million cups at an acceptable price point.

High-Tech NFC Soccer Balls: The official ball used in the 2018 World Cup was the Adidas Telstar 18, the latest update of the original ball used in the 1970 competition. This newest Telstar includes more modern technology, a near-field communication (NFC) chip embedded beneath the Adidas logo authenticating the ball as a legitimate non-counterfeit, as well as providing the purchaser with a host of interactive features via a smartphone app. This NFC chip includes specific information about each ball and GPS tracking, unlocking digital games, access to World Cup insider updates and online discussions, and other exclusive content.

The soccer fans among us at Syrma noticed where and how these applications benefited the World Cup fan experience. Considering the eternal worldwide popularity of soccer and other sports, we look forward to helping sports-minded OEMs bring further next-generation innovations to this lucrative global market.

Backed by 40 Years of Expertise

We contribute our 40 years of design and manufacturing expertise spanning multiple diverse markets. We look forward to discussing how we can deliver world-class products for OEMs across the globe. We understand our home Indian market, familiar with its vast regulatory and selling environments. We foster growth opportunities within India through our strong technology incubation ecosystem. We also assist global OEMs in entering the Indian market by leveraging the local supply chain and favorable operating environments for cost reductions.

Our flagship Chennai location opened in 2006 and lies within a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for electronics manufacturing, offering economic incentives for imports and exports. This primary facility is within 90 minutes of the Chennai seaport and 20 minutes to the international airport. Additional road and rail connectivity links to the rest of India and beyond and infrastructure advantages with faster import and export clearances. We also have labor force flexibility, both technical and manual, to scale to demand rapidly.

To learn more about this topic, please contact us.