2D Barcodes and Digital Signage - Part II

As a result of the enormous revenue that could come out of the 2D barcode sector in the United States, there are many companies focused on unlocking this market. Scanbuy, one of the world's largest providers of 2D code technology, has made headway in translating overseas success to the U.S. Scanbuy' s ScanLife mobile application can read all major 2D barcode formats, including the company's proprietary EZcodes.



While a number of companies are attempting to grab a major piece of this emerging technology, Scanbuy believe its EZcodes offer a number of advantages over datamatrix and QR Codes:

- Reach: EZcodes can be read by the ScanLife reader which is available to around 3 times more phones than any other 2D barcode application.

- Size: The size of an EZcode does not increase based on the information which it is linked to, while other formats are directly proportional to the amount of data delivered.

-Density: EZcodes are simpler in density which means they can be read by more phones, more easily, and with higher accuracy.

Additionally, Scanbuy recently announced that it will publish the specifications for EZcode encoding and decoding to give software developers, campaign managers and code publishers worldwide the ability to utilize EZcodes, which have quickly become one of the dominant mobile barcode formats worldwide. This strategic initiative is focused on making EZcodes the global standard for mobile barcode technology. Marketers and media providers have been using the ScanLife Code Management Platform to easily create and track 2D barcode campaigns. Non-business users can also create their own codes for free which link to their social networking sites or contact information.

“Because EZcodes have quickly become a major force in the growth of mobile marketing, we believe it is now time to make this technology an open standard that everyone can use and benefit from,” said Jonathan Bulkeley, Chief Executive Officer of Scanbuy. “Scanbuy has always worked to grow and develop the worldwide 2D barcode ecosystem and today’s announcement shows our commitment to creating a vibrant and open global marketplace.”

Supporting its drive to make 2D barcode technology omnipresent across media platforms, ScanBuy has secured partnerships with LG Electronics, Nokia, Sony, and Samsung that sees its ScanLife application pre-installed on camera phones from the manufacturers in various markets. Scanlife is compatible with every major mobile operating system, with applications for the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android platforms.

Scanbuy was recognized with the award for "Best Integration with Mobile" at MediaPost's recent Digital Out-of-Home Media Awards. The campaign with Citysearch and Discovery Communications connected people with immediate access to restaurant reviews, weather updates, and landmark audio tours via 2D barcodes placed on bus shelters, kiosks, and other forms of outdoor media. Citysearch placed EZcodes at hundreds of restaurants which linked directly to their specific mobile site so potential customers could see the latest reviews of that specific location.

Similar to how Citysearch leveraged the technology in its award-winning campaign, it's easy to imagine the extent to which a digital signage network could use 2D barcodes to assist tourists and consumers in learning more about attractions and local businesses. I can see the technology solution being used across a variety of networks. For example, a network owner could utilize 2D barcodes to deliver coupons, product reviews, mobile tickets, videos, etc. "There's great engagement," says Mark Lobel, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

While amost every other 2D barcode solution on the market requires a code reader application and a Web-enabled phone, JagTag, a Massachusetts-based startup, offers the opportunity for every person with a camera phone to interact with tagged content. Anyone using a Verizon or AT&T camera phone with text messaging can access the content embedded within one of the company's tags. You take a photo of a tag, then send it to 524824. If you have an iPhone, you e-mail the photo to iphone@jagtag.net. In the reply, you'll get a picture message that may contain an image, video or audio.

"Today 2D barcodes are a micromedium," says Jagtag CEO Dudley Fitzpatrick . "But advertisers really want this, and when a lot of brands can reach a lot of people, it will become a mass medium."

In my opinoin, there's no doubt that 2D codes will have a major impact on the U.S. media and advertising industries. The only question is when. I think there will be a place in the market for Scanbuy and Jagtag. And, once web-enabled phones hit a certain saturation point, JagTag will have to supplement its text solution with one that's application-based. Stakeholders in the digital signage industry would be well-served in experimenting with 2D barcodes sooner rather than later. Digital Signage affords the opportunity to dynamically deliver 2D barcodes that can be created and inserted into a playlist on the fly.

Jagtag CEO Dudley Fitzpatrick envisions a world where 2D barcodes turn up on every imaginable surface. "It's a crazy idea that every object in the world can deliver on-demand digital video to any camera phone," says Fitzpatrick.

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