NEW LOOK!

    NEW CONTENT!

These last few months have been a great learning experience and we want to thank everyone who has visited the website and our blog, BLOG.2DNext.com! It’s been that support that has spurred us on to a new design and new content. Coming on June 15^st, 2012 our website will make a big change. We have committed to updating our content on a weekly basis. This means every time you come back you find great new ideas on the usage of 2D barcodes. In addition we will have a new directory listing with many existing and new providers of software and services in our industry. We will also make it very easy for you to make sure your company is listed if you play that role. If you are a company thinking of implementing 2D barcodes we provide many potential partners for your projects. Of course we don’t want to forget our blog. We plan more blogs and if you blog we want to provide a link to your sites as well, but more on that later. In addition we plan to add tweets to the mix as well.

So that’s the plan and we hope to see you on the 1^st and many times thereafter!

Best regards,

Howard Vaughn

Editor of 2DNext.com

Direct Mail: 14.5M QR code Scanners
Business Strata - Business News

Companies using direct mail as part of their integrated B2B marketing strategy may be encouraged to include quick response (QR) codes in their mail outs, after new figures highlighted their potential.

According to the latest US study by research firm comScore, an estimated 14.5 million QR codes were scanned by consumers using their mobile phone or handheld device in June 2011, DM News reports.

Mark Donovan, comScore's senior vice president of mobile, said that growing awareness of QR and the proliferation of smartphones had driven the use of the printed codes, which direct people to businesses' websites and promotions.

"It's increasingly hard to walk through a major city or open a publication and not see QR codes. Mobile is an incredibly personal and ubiquitous channel. You're reaching the consumer wherever they decide to engage with content," he added.

Almost two-thirds of people scanning QR codes in June were male, with 53 per cent in the 18 to 34-year-old age group and more than a third belonged to the 'over $100,000' (£61,254) income bracket.

I have read a couple of columnist that has scoffed at 2D Barcodes hitting 6.2% of the US in this study. To these folks I would suggest that they go back and look at the early acceptance studies on the Internet. This phase of 2D barcode usage like the Internet will be followed by the “hokey stick’ chart effect. That line that looks like it will go right off the chart. You can call me a cheerleader for the industry because I have no problem with that label. But what I would call your attention to the fact that 2D barcode usage in Japan is 50% of adult cellphone users. So ignore 2D barcodes at your own risk. Call them a fade or even ugly as one person put it, but don’t underestimate this trend. That light you see in the tunnel is an oncoming freight train. You have been warned!!!!

Kimtag launches QR Code and NFC Tag management system
PR Web (press release)
Launched today, Branches is a professional QR Code and NFC Tag management system designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for QR Code management products. Fully integrated into the Kimtag connection hub system, Branches enables users to create and ...
Kimtag is one of a number of companies jumping into the business to manage 2D barcodes in there many versions. All of these are predicated on the indirect 2D barcodes. Simply stated when you create a 2D Barcode and give that company control of the operations of the barcode. Upside is access to a deep rich set of statistics. On the other side is that someone else holds your customer list. Time will tell which model proves the most useful. HV

Yet another first from Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH: Keeping up with fast-developing technologies, the Saudi Gazette is introducing QR or 2D barcodes in its pages.
A QR or Quick Response code is a specific matrix barcode that Saudi Gazette readers can de-code with a smart phone, which will automatically lead to useful links.
The use of 2D codes in the newspaper is aimed at bringing together the Saudi Gazette digital and print platforms and providing readers with access to additional information not available in the print edition.
A reader can just scan with a smart phone the QR code that appears in one of our print edition pages, and the code will then automatically lead to a link either to our website or to a more detailed story or more photo options.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Convert Microsoft Tag File With Microsoft Tag Reader into PNG ...
Similar to QR code Microsoft has introduced TAG format, Tag is Microsoft's technology of encoding knowledge in 2nd barcode that uses clusters of coloured ...
www.techworld365.com/convert-microsoft-tag-file-with-micr...

Want a short synopsis to help you understand the Microsoft TAG, how to create it and where to download the app so you can use your phone to get in on the fun? Well this article is just what you are looking for, download it and make sure everyone in the office gets a look at it as well.          HV.                                                                  

 ShareSquare Inks Deal with the Orchard
socalTech.com
ShareSquare's service allows bands, brands, and others to create QR codes, 2D barcodes. Those barcodes can be easily scanned by iPhone, Android, and other smartphones, to link users directly to HTML5 mobile apps and information.

ShareSquare enlists 2-D barcodes into the local music scene. The barcodes are the latest addition to the movement allowing bands to reach their customers directly without the big label machine. Once a band has a barcode there followers can simply scan it every time they see it to find out more information about their favorite band. Whether it's to see the cover art for the latest album or to reach the band through social networking it's simply one more way the bands can connect with music lovers. HV.

 iLoop Mobile and Lenco Mobile Partner to Deliver a Comprehensive Turnkey ...
MarketWatch (press release)
More advanced MMS campaigns can include 2D barcodes such as a Microsoft Tag placed on product packaging that consumers scan using a phone's camera. The opportunity to scan the barcode incentivizes customers to receive a coupon they can redeem at retail …

India Health Ministry awaits task force plan to launch barcoding for drugs in domestic market
pharmabiz.com, India most comprehensive Pharma portal

The Health Ministry is learnt to be strongly in favor of introducing 2D barcode system for every strip of medicine produced in the country by amending the Rule 96 of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act (D&C Act), as a natural corollary to the announced implementation of the same for the exports of pharma products.

Though the issue is subjudice under the High Court of Allahabad, the Ministry is waiting for the recommendations of a task force set up to study and suggest a plan for the same. “The task force set up by the Health Ministry has already held discussions with the stakeholders and the report is awaited. The manufacturers and other stakeholders were involved in the consultation process,” sources said

The Indian government is waiting for recommendation to adopt 2D Barcodes to track and trace the use of pharmaceuticals inside the country. One would expect that a key factor in such a decision would be the ability of the 2D barcodes to be used to follow the products during the entire life-cycle for tracking such issues like “recalls”.    HV.