Coming soon: mobile phone hyperlinks for the real world

2D barcodes are helping the mobile web to take a giant leap forward

Matthew Wall
Thursday June 21, 2007
The Guardian

Barcelona-based Codilink (codilink.com) is selling 20,000 2D barcode cinema tickets and discount vouchers a week, having licensed ScanBuy's technology. Codilink managing director Ben Chesser says: "Within one-and-a-half to two years, early adopters will be doing this regularly. It takes time to build awareness, but this technology is finally ready for take-off."

One drawback preventing widespread adoption has been the lack of standards in a fragmented and highly competitive mobile phone market. Few consumers have been bothered enough to download decoder software on to their phones.

The advantage of ScanBuy's proprietary software is that it can read any of the main barcode protocols, such as QR, mainly used in Japan; Data Matrix, mainly used in Europe; and EZcode, ScanBuy's code designed specifically for VGA cameraphones. And once more mobiles are shipped with decoder software built in, the mobile web will take a giant leap forward.