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Using 2D barcodes in mobile marketing is something that we are aware of. However, when Microsoft decides to do it, it definitely deserves a special mention. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it will introduce a new barcode technology which will bring the print medium, internet medium, and the mobile phone together successfully.
At CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2009, Microsoft released the beta version of what they call Microsoft Tag – a barcode technology which can help to store data in the form of graphical bitmaps.
Microsoft Tag differs from QR codes or any other type of 2D barcode available today because of an important reason – It is based on a brand new technology called HCCB (High Capacity Color Barcodes) which uses triangle shaped color pixels to store data instead of the usual black and white square pixels. Moreover, these tags do not store any information. Instead, they store a unique ID which is used to retrieve information from Microsoft servers. So, it is now possible to store a lot more information than what can be usually stored in conventional 2D barcodes.
Here is how it works.
Microsoft Tag contains HCCB data which is nothing but a unique ID for the information stored in a Microsoft server. When the tag is read, the HCCB data is sent to the server and the publisher’s URL is returned to the mobile phone and the user is able to open the appropriate website in his mobile browser. All this takes place in a span of few seconds.
What you need
What you need is an internet enabled smart phone with a camera, a reasonably good data plan, Microsoft Tag application, and a Microsoft Tag account. This application works on phones which run on Symbian, Blackberry, Android, J2ME-MMP, Palm, Java 2 Micro Edition, iPhone, and any Windows OS.
You can open an account on Microsoft Tag webpage in a matter of few seconds and download the application on to your mobile phone for free.
How you use it?
When you see a print ad with a Microsoft Tag, all you need to do is activate the tag application on your mobile phone and take a picture of the barcode using your mobile phone camera. Immediately, you will be able to see the publisher’s website, which contains information about the product or service mentioned in the ad, on your mobile browser.
Why is it good for businesses?
It is a very simple yet effective way to reach the end user. It makes advertising a lot easier. When people find a product or service mentioned in a print ad appealing, they usually try to get more information about it. If the business owner can give them the information they want immediately, the chances of a sale increase significantly. This is now possible with Microsoft Tag. It is reliable, easy to use, and, most importantly, free. So, a lot people, small business owners in particular, can benefit immensely from this technology. I think this technology will make a big impact in the near future and will increase the scope of mobile marketing tremendously. Let us wait and see if I am proven right or not.
PS - You can read more about 2D barcodes and their role in mobile marketing here,here, and here.
Tags: 2d barcodes, Android, barcode technology, bitmaps, consumer electronics show, internet medium, iPhone, j2me, Java, java 2 micro edition, microsoft tag, microsoft server, microsoft servers, mobile browser, mobile marketing, palm, QR codes, smart phone, tag application, windows os
Technorati Tags: 2d barcodes, Android, barcode technology, bitmaps, consumer electronics show, internet medium, iPhone, j2me, Java, java 2 micro edition, microsoft tag, microsoft server, microsoft servers, mobile browser, mobile marketing, palm, QR codes, smart phone, tag application, windows os
Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Microsoft, Mobile Web.
Ever since mobile advertising and mobile internet became a big deal, there is a lot of talk about the Dot Mobi extension. Some say it’s worth tens of thousands dollars, some say it’s overpriced, and some say it’s underestimated. However, one thing is for sure. People are curious to know about the Dot Mobi extension. Let’s take a detailed look now.
First of all, I’ve got to tell you one thing. The Dot Mobi extension, as of now, is more expensive than the Dot Com, Dot Org, and Dot Net extensions. Thus, it’s true that there is enough demand in the market for that extension. However, some argue that Dot Mobi doesn’t really have a future. And they have a reason for it too.
They argue that Dot Mobi is something which will become famous only if the number of mobile sites grows at a fast rate. They also argue that with high-end phones like the Apple iPhone and Nokia N95, people are comfortable browsing normal websites in their mobile browsers, so there is actually no need for mobile sites. I, however, don’t buy this.
No matter how sophisticated your mobile phone is, viewing a normal website has its own downsides. There can be some technical difficulties and certain sites might not load properly, as they are not optimized for mobile phones. According to web experts, for an optimal mobile browsing experience, the markup language for websites should be XML with Java. This may not be the case in some websites, which might make your mobile browsing experience slightly annoying.
On the other hand, a mobile site is optimized for mobile phones and it’s ideal for the tiny little screen of the mobile phone. So, I think mobile sites might be the best choice for mobile phones. Already, there are plenty of mobile sites and big companies have bought Dot Mobi domains to develop their own mobile sites.
So, I think the Dot Mobi extension will become very popular. Already, we’ve seen some precursors for that and it might as well be the case a few years from now.
Tags: apple iphone, dot mobi, dot org, iPhone, Java, markup language, mobile browsers, mobile browsing, mobile sites, mobile advertising, mobile internet, mobile phone, mobile phones, Nokia, precursors, technical difficulties, web experts, XML
Technorati Tags: apple iphone, dot mobi, dot org, iPhone, Java, markup language, mobile browsers, mobile browsing, mobile sites, mobile advertising, mobile internet, mobile phone, mobile phones, Nokia, precursors, technical difficulties, web experts, XML
Categories: All things mobile phones.
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