The first is about ensuring adoption. Adoption is poor if citizens have concerns that their personal data, however limited, is being held centrally by any external entity or that third parties can track their location and access their contact history. Countries such as South Korea and Singapore have resorted to force to ensure compliance. This is unthinkable in Canada.
With our platform, each edge or client device, such as a smart phone, acts as its own server system capable of receiving, storing and sending information. The system detects exposure by combining several technologies, including network address and Bluetooth proximity. This exposure log is recorded, calculated and processed locally on each device, eliminating the need to send this information to a central system. All devices remain anonymous and the only source of data, putting citizens in complete control of their data.
The second is about anonymity in action. Some of the better attempts with contact-tracing apps preserve anonymity until a positive case is identified. However, as soon as a user tests positive, the entire contact log from the user can be accessed by a central authority. The core issue here is not about the data of the user who tested positive, but rather the violation of the privacy of everyone else who was in contact with the user. By contrast, our platform can verify a valid positive test ID and then use a token to send out alerts to the exposure log anonymously, directly from a user's device.
The third and perhaps most critical aspect is that any contact-tracing solution needs to be adaptable. This means avoiding points of failure. We see several major issues with current attempts at contact tracing. I'll list a few.
One, many apps require users to register with a central health authority to get started. This not only creates privacy issues but also complexity, as users in proximity might not be registered with the same health authority.
Two, some approaches require adding COVID-19-specific features into device operating systems. This is unnecessary, plus it adds the additional pain of dismantling. Citizens may be concerned that once a function gets implanted in my phone and theirs, it will not go away, which may inhibit adoption.
Three, apps that save tracing logs on a central system need to connect with that system frequently to poll information. This creates a heavy load on the network, causing all sorts of issues.
I'll conclude by saying that hybrid edge cloud computing was developed for data exchange and transactions in a private manner with the ability for central oversight to curtail any abuse of our communications systems by bad actors. This solution can work seamlessly across health authorities, technologies and networks. Most importantly, by eliminating the need for sending or saving contact-tracing history on central systems, we can protect citizens' privacy, avoid network loads and implement a truly scalable solution across Canada in the health sector and others.
As I have mentioned today, adoption, anonymity and adaptability are the three important As of contact tracing. Every citizen deserves a solution with this triple A rating.
Thank you. I will be happy to answer any questions.