Mark RaskinoLast week, Google launched it’s URL shortener service goo.gl which competes with bit.ly and TinyURL , both of which have been around for years and are widely used. However, if you use goo.gl while signed in to a Google account, an additional feature is enabled. The service will generate a QR code as well as a short URL.
This is interesting. Google is making QR codes trivially easy to generate, at the same time as being prime mover behind the Android based smartphones with cameras that can read those codes. I’m wondering if this is will lead to a QR code explosion. Last time I visited Japan (late 2008) they were everywhere – on street furniture, signs in my hotel room – and even McDonalds Burger wrappers. But they have remained conspicuosuly absent from the everyday cityscapes of US and Europe.
Over the last 12 to 18 months, many major Western airlines have started to push mobile phone based Check-in services that use also use matrix barcodes on mobile phones, to replace the paper boarding pass. So now we have a two pronged push on the mindsets of business leaders. On one side – they will start to regularly experience the usefulness of these codes during travel – seeing how they can bridge web and physical service processes. On the other hand marketers and small business owners will likely start to play with codes a lot more by using Google’s service – so we will see them popping up all over the place … business cards, T-shirts, store signage, car windows.
What’s different here? Only consumerization really. While barcodes have been one of the most successful business information technologies of all time, they were not something non-tech folks could adapt and play with. Even though laser barcode readers are cheap PC peripherals these days… who do you know that owns one at home? Now we face the prospect of millions of consumers carrying a barcode reader with them in their pocket every day.
QR code sign outside a store - a common sight in Tokyo (2008)
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Medical Quack October 4, 2010 at 3:57 pm
This trend has been building for a while and the QR developers are getting serious about it. Being I am a healthcare blogger, I have around 30-40 posts on how this technology can be used as an FDA recall system. In addition to recalls, it’s does a lot more than that too so one technology can solve many areas where this is needed. This is an overall summary from a while back that has a permanent spot on my blog. You can even view a potential solution for the White House too there for evens in keeping the non invited from getting in.
http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/05/microsoft-tags-microsoft-msdn-posts.html
There are a couple drug companies that are looking at my campaign as well. In addition, every medical device and drug can have one 2, designed with an encrypted token to keep the counterfeit folks out and this is a great cloud operation and the FDA could maintain a synchronized data base so it would make compliance easier for them too. People die getting implanted with defective devices that are not removed so scan that stent before use too.
Here’s the working model with authenticating MDs for e-prescribing too.
http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/06/razcode-microsoft-tags-using-smart.html
Have a Personal Health Record – here we go once more-aim shoot and import data, works with Google Health, HealthVault and Dossia personal health records.
http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/06/digital-health-tokens-connect-google.html
All this technology is built and available today. I have tweets from Twitter with consumers that want it as well as a poll as this shows value to the consumer, where everyone misses the boat today with trying to get consumers involved in healthcare. It is like having Windows on your pc, after a while you want to add Office so this is the “windows” vehicle to expand and get consumers involved as it shows immediate value.
There’s also a heat map to find devices and drugs once scanned too, a help for the DEA in all of this.
http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/microsoft-tag-bar-codeswhos-been.html
In summary, this is not just for advertising,bar coding has value way beyond just an ad too. We just need to get some heads out of the 70s here and perhaps we can move forward as for the consumer, it’s easier than making call on a smart phone too, open program, aim and shoot, instant information.
Barbara Duck
2 bob October 4, 2010 at 5:12 pm
There are a number of free QR Code generator services in the market (pre Goo.gl); some include URL shorteners (makes the code less dense) and most include some level of private analytics.
Once businesses (and individuals) realize you can take the Goo.gl URL as .qr and append further with .info, you now have public access to the analytics of that particular Code.
No one will use this professionally.
The hazard of having zillions of QR Tags, particularly, non-professional/commercial Tags “everywhere” is that people will be less inclined to take out the 1-2 minutes required to scan each one. Imagine BLADE RUNNER with QR Tags on the floating billboards? Who would have time to scan, resolve and then go to the ad unit?
There have been dozens of big Brand name campaigns done over the past few months. Most have been failures.
We’ll see where this all leads…