EMMA: Transforming Government CX Using Blockchain, NFT and UCID for IoT Devices and Data Security | Pipeline Magazine

By: Scott St. John

There are almost eight billion people on the planet, but connected devices are more than us humans two to one. Adoption shows no signs of declining, as the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to accelerate. IoT creates many new benefits, opportunities and applications that span smart agriculture, appliances, cars, cities and devices. IoT device manufacturers, solution providers and telecom service providers are all fighting to take their share of this huge opportunity.

However, these new possibilities also entail a level of risk, both for the device and the data, which must be taken into account. The magnitude, scale, and sophistication of the latest IoT cyber-security attacks serve as a warning, with quantum-resistant cyber-security threats materializing in the not-too-distant future.

Government agencies, universities, non-profit organizations and the private sector are turning to new technologies to help them transform, effectively exploit IoT opportunities and manage risks. This includes the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Robotics Process Automation (RPA). In addition to these, new and emerging technologies are flourishing – with significant transformation potential for IoT device security. This includes technologies such as the Universal Communications Identifier (UCID), a unique identifier for a device on a network; the blockchain, a distributed ledger that is shared with the nodes of a computer network to guarantee security; and Non-Fungible Tokens, cryptographic assets on a blockchain that cannot be replicated. The combined practical application of these technologies – implementing UCID on the device, using NFTs and putting them on the blockchain – ensures that the device itself is authenticated on a non-destructible network. This is a big leap forward – and it is happening now, in the US government.

The US Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce, is implementing a massive digital transformation in preparation for the 2030 census. The special unit focuses on updating key functions such as claims handling, operational synchronization and data management. As part of the transformation, the agency is implementing the newly developed electronic medical mobile application (EMMA) to modernize how workers’ compensation, property and compensation claims are filed when an injury or incident occurs. EMMA will be the first blockchain implementation at the Census Bureau and – with 500,000 expected field counter users – is the largest blockchain project currently underway in the federal government.

EMMA is the product of a collaboration between Forward Edge-AI, Rypplzz and Total Network Services (TNS). Pipeline recently had the opportunity to discuss EMMA with CEO Eric Adolphe of Forward Edge-AI, CEO Thomas Carter of TNS, and SVP of Channel Sales Kevin L. Jackson. The conversation explored EMMA and the use of these advanced technologies in the federal government for the US Census. It also explored how the EMMA project can be applied to other innovative governments, businesses and telecoms, and how this unique combination of technologies can be exploited to effectively and safely seize IoT capabilities.

Every ten years, the US Census Bureau does the enormous job of counting all the people in the country and recording basic data such as age, gender and race. Census data are critically important for citizens’ daily lives, as they inform the government and political decisions from infrastructure to determine the number of representatives in Congress. But collecting census data is anything but easy. The recently completed census for 2020 depended on 52 older systems. The Census Bureau is now focused on leveraging sophisticated, new technologies – including AI, blockchain, chatbots, NFT, RPA and UCID – to synchronize operations, eliminate older systems, protect data and significantly improve device security during 2030