The DataDot Asset Identification Kit contains thousands of microdots that allow you to permanently mark any asset.
If you have been affected by theft or a burglary, you will know what an inconvenience it can be to have your electronics stolen. While most gadgets and appliances can be replaced, some items, such as your notebook, gaming console, or PC, are irreplaceable once they become cluttered with personal data, photographs, and music. Enter DataDot; this innovative product allows you to mark your hardware using UV-reactiveglue containing uniquely numbered microdots.
The marked hardware then allows the police to identify the rightful owner once the stolen property had been recovered - a task that’s impossible if the serial numbers have been removed. Considering that each dot is 0.5mm in diameter, thieves will not be able to see, let alone remove them.
I had my doubts that the police would even know what to look for when recovering goods marked with DataDot, but DataDot Technology South Africa had, as of July 2009, trained over 6,200 police officers and had donated around 2,021 Microdot Kits to allow police officers to identify marked hardware. It is thus no surprise that DataDot has been used with great success on motor vehicles. Even though you need specialist fitment to mark your car with DataDot, this asset-identification kit takes the same technology and makes it easy to use at home or the office. The kit comprises a small tub of glue containing around 3,000 dots (enough to mark 30 items), an applicator, some security stickers, and a registration form.
The serial number on each kit is unique, and you need to register your number with DataDot once you have marked your assets. The database is accessible to the police via a secure call centre, and you can update your details in the event that you move.
This technology is so straightforward that one wonders why this has not been commercially available sooner. Apart from major appliances, I have used the asset-identification kit to discretely mark my photographic equipment, iPod, and even my cellphone. Best of all, this kit is a once-off investment, and there are no additional costs involved.
The only downside to the kit is that once the glue had been opened, you will have to use the contents within 12 hours - the glue is sensitive to oxygen. A slightly more expensive aerosol kit is available that doesn’t have a time limit once opened.
If you have been affected by theft or a burglary, you will know what an inconvenience it can be to have your electronics stolen. While most gadgets and appliances can be replaced, some items, such as your notebook, gaming console, or PC, are irreplaceable once they become cluttered with personal data, photographs, and music. Enter DataDot; this innovative product allows you to mark your hardware using UV-reactiveglue containing uniquely numbered microdots.
The marked hardware then allows the police to identify the rightful owner once the stolen property had been recovered - a task that’s impossible if the serial numbers have been removed. Considering that each dot is 0.5mm in diameter, thieves will not be able to see, let alone remove them.
I had my doubts that the police would even know what to look for when recovering goods marked with DataDot, but DataDot Technology South Africa had, as of July 2009, trained over 6,200 police officers and had donated around 2,021 Microdot Kits to allow police officers to identify marked hardware. It is thus no surprise that DataDot has been used with great success on motor vehicles. Even though you need specialist fitment to mark your car with DataDot, this asset-identification kit takes the same technology and makes it easy to use at home or the office. The kit comprises a small tub of glue containing around 3,000 dots (enough to mark 30 items), an applicator, some security stickers, and a registration form.
The serial number on each kit is unique, and you need to register your number with DataDot once you have marked your assets. The database is accessible to the police via a secure call centre, and you can update your details in the event that you move.
This technology is so straightforward that one wonders why this has not been commercially available sooner. Apart from major appliances, I have used the asset-identification kit to discretely mark my photographic equipment, iPod, and even my cellphone. Best of all, this kit is a once-off investment, and there are no additional costs involved.
The only downside to the kit is that once the glue had been opened, you will have to use the contents within 12 hours - the glue is sensitive to oxygen. A slightly more expensive aerosol kit is available that doesn’t have a time limit once opened.