2D Bar Codes

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A new technology is on the distant horizon for North Americans who use their mobile phones to surf for information.

2D Bar Codes, a growing technology which has been on the scene for quite some time in Japan, is gaining momentum in North America. These bar codes can encode significantly more data compared to their conventional counterparts and can be scanned with devices with cameras (such as a cell phone) and “clicked” on to seamlessly connect to relevant online content.

Citysearch, an online guide for restaurant, event, and night club reviews and directions, has been testing this technology out with 580 restaurants in the San Francisco area. These 2D bar codes were posted in the windows of these establishments, and when a user scanned the bar code, they were taken to a Citysearch review of the establishment. This beta testing is currently being watched by the country’s largest cellular carriers.

There are countless ways this technology could be used. For example, in the real estate sector, properties for sale could be displayed with signs with these 2D codes on them, so that when a house hunter drives by, they could easily pull over and scan the code onto their cell phone to obtain information on the listing. Google already uses this technology in their Newspaper Ads as a call-to-action.

This technology means that online retailers will be able to facilitate shopping from cell phones, a segment which was featured on Good Morning America; retailers in the states are already starting to use 2D bar codes to capture revenue from their customers while away from lap-tops or PC’s. As mobile browsing and technology becomes more advanced, ensuring that online marketing campaigns follow through to incorporate mobile tactics will be the difference between being an “old school” or “new school” online retailer.

Posted by Kelly Robertson on 08/26 at 06:00 AM
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