Azure Updates: Diamond supply chain; Food waste; IoT Hub

Microsoft profiled HB Antwerp, a Belgian company using blockchain to track the diamond supply chain. Using Azure, the company creates a digital ledger detailing a diamond’s extraction location, sorting, shipping, and ultimate delivery to a customer. It touts 3000 verification points per stone to ensure ethical sourcing and help diamond producing countries better understand the market. The company leverages IoT devices integrated with Azure and Dynamics 365, and data is subsequently uploaded to Power BI for analysis.

“We are trying to package this entire journey and deliver it to the consumer in a way that will create an environment that others find it very difficult to compete with. Having a ledger and a representation of the journey means that for the first time, consumers can ask themselves, ‘Where did the diamond come from? What was its impact? Which people benefited from it?” stated Shai de-Toledo, one of HB Antwerp’s founders.