Bar Code Mania

Bar codes are hitting mainstream....er, I mean Main Street!

I just read a great story (put together by Rachel Metz for the Associated Press, Bar Codes Get Around Town and Get More Useful, June 6th ), and I needed to share! I actually found the story in the local newspaper here, where I am vacationing, but for a great read, check it out on Yahoo! News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100606/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_better_bar_codes

We are familiar with bar codes and use them every day in our lives when shopping; the little vertical lines on the back of virtually every product we purchase in the stores. You know what I am talking about; they give the retailer all the info on a particular product so (most importantly) you get an accurate price at checkout. This technology has been around for years and is generally accepted as normal protocol.

In the early 90's a Japanese company Denso Wave Inc., who creates scanning equipment came out with a new type of bar code called QR, for quick response.  You know these too. All the little boxes and squares making it possible to store a lot more info. United Parcel Service (UPS- What can brown do for you?) now uses these for all your packaging needs. I have heard these also referred to as 2D bar codes, which really makes a lot of sense because you are able to use lines in both the vertical and the horizontal directions....broken up, of course, into the little squares we see.

The article refers to a new use of the technology for downloaded movie tickets for Fandango. I can't really relate to that, but if you are like me and travel a lot, you may also use the 2D bar codes for instant message plane tickets. Right now Delta uses this technology at certain airports and I am sure other airlines, if not already' will follow. I love this as it allows me to use ether my iPhone or Blackberry to do quick scan and move on through. No need to print out the ticket at home or stop by a kiosk. And more importantly I always have at least one of my phones on me, and it is always frustrating to me trying to remember where I put my ticket. I have to warn you though not everyone has embraced the mindset of adopting this technology. I still see very few people using the IM tickets and I have had to literally show TSA agents how the scanners work. And of course there's always the murmurs from the other passengers on how it shouldn't be allowed because "anybody" could just find my phone and check in as me......really....really??? Seriously people they would need my ID too, that hasn't changed! And you know why you don't have to show your boarding pass "again" as you walk through the metal detector? Yes that's right, protocol changed after the TSA allowed the technology because you have to put the phone through x-ray belt. You're welcome!


Now the QR technology is being utilized for yet another use, and is being embraced by none other than Google.

Google in conjunction with Google Places has been sending out the QR or 2D bar codes to hundreds of thousands of companies to promote businesses in their local listing service. The codes are placed at the bottom of a business decal that businesses place in their window. When customers scan the code with mobile device like a phone, a plethora of things can take place; though right now you're directed to a Google page dedicated to your business that can link the customer to your Website, a coupon, or whatever you desire!

I can't say for sure what public opinion is on this technology but I think it's great! A direct connection of cyberspace to the physical world, initiated by the customer. This technology will allow marketers a lot more flexibility and will enable much more targeted advertising in the future. We are currently studying how marketers can optimize SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to increase the probability of getting found on the Internet. Soon bar codes will need to be integrated as tool in SEO optimization, as well as RFID tags! And yes it is possible....because after all the bar codes represent data! Cool!

The Internet is all around around us and this is a huge step ( can I say leap-frog) to the next generation of the inter-connectivity that will envelope our lives. I say let us embrace it, develop it, and move forward!