Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1523387
60 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Anthony (Tony) Bryant is a trained expert in component counterfeiting techniques who has been collaborating with IPC on a new intermediate-level course on counterfeits. Tony is in final preparation to launch this course and shared his reasons for the course, as well as information about its content and value to EMS companies. Nolan Johnson: Tony, tell me a little about yourself in the context of this course. Tony Bryant: In my 35 years working with counterfeits, I have witnessed firsthand the Counterfeit Detection Course: It's the Real Deal pervasive issue of substandard and counterfeit electronic components. My journey began in the U.S. Navy, where I saw firsthand the consequences of equipment failures. Upon transitioning to the civilian sector, I pursued advanced training at some of the militar y's leading electronics institutions, including ACI Technologies Inc., formerly known as the American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) in Philadelphia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem of counterfeiting escalated signi- ficantly. In the 2020-2021 timeframe, I per-