Thanks to a collaboration between IBM and a subsidiary of Ethos Veterinary Health, blockchain technology is coming to the veterinary education industry. The multinational technology firm will be working with VetBloom to create an immutable record of veterinary practitioners’ credentials. The platform already has several key collaborators. It will reportedly take on more in the new year, expanding the scope and efficacy of the system. According to a press release published earlier today, IBM will be working with VetBloom, Ethos Veterinary Health’s digital learning ecosystem, to create a blockchain system of credentials for the animal care industry. The initiative will award digital badges for completion of educational tasks. Stored using blockchain technology, these will provide an immutable, tamper-proof record of a practitioners’ credentials. Already working with VetBloom and IBM on the scheme are some leading names from the US veterinary industry. These include Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA), and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). More names are expected to be announced this week too. Of the partnership and the launch of the new system, IBM’s Global Leader of Blockchain and AI for Credentials, Alex Kaplan, said: “It has been incredibly rewarding to work with VetBloom and the other collaborating entities in the veterinary learning space over the past year.” He added that IBM foresees a big future for the concept of blockchain credential systems in the veterinary industry and beyond. The press release states that the group have already designed a working product but are looking to create a second version of the system. The short-term goal is to on board more participants and further develop the project’s governance structure. Founder of VetBloom and Chief Knowledge Officer of Ethos Veterinary Health Patrick Welch said that the more participants in the system, the more useful it will be. He also stated: “We have worked diligently with IBM over the last year to bring key industry stakeholders into this initiative, creating a veterinary ecosystem that will join IBM’s broader work around learning credentials and blockchain.” Blockchain technology’s properties are allowing it to find application in a range of industries. Outside of cryptocurrency, companies are using distributed ledgers to build systems by which the authenticity of a product can be verified and its supply chain monitored. This allows customers or other interested parties a better guarantee that what they are buying is indeed what the merchant claims it is. Related Reading: Walmart Canada Launches Largest Blockchain for Supply Chain Management EverBig Names Involved in Veterinary Credentials Blockchain Initiative
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