Armageddon: QR Codes and DataMatrix Codes made simple
GoMo News has been defining the claim that mobile barcodes will be the new bread and butter of the mobile marketing world shortly. Then, just as we thought we led in this mantra; a statement from M&S claimed it was working on a QR campaign – when it was a DataMatrix code.
An M&S spokesperson was quoted as saying
“we’re trialling QR codes as an innovative new way to communicate with our customers. As this stage it’s only on our Food to Go freshly squeezed juices.”
When we realised this mistake we immediately corrected it. But in a world of Twitter Justice three people called us “inept” and other malicious names. I checked out the profile of these three, and discovered they are all involved in marketing or 2d barcoding people. Two of them maintain their own news blogs. My instant reaction was to think “an eye for an eye” and remove any links to the blogs from GoMo, and write to the marketing company owner to say his employees should know better.
But in a world of enough injustice; we decided to forgive and forget. Misery and bad karma from others must be ignored in a time of a recession as attitudes can be well-worn to the mood of the nation.
So, back to our mantra on codes I decided to conduct a poll that asked if our readers actually knew what the difference between a QR Code and DataMatrix code is.
The answer, unfortunately, tortured us (for about 30 seconds). The majority of our readers DO NOT know the difference.
This grim reality sounds bad. But as society is changing and new services emerging, I suspect that not knowing the difference isn’t half as bad as it sounds. In reality, why should consumers need to know what technology or code they are using? The fact of the matter is that they should only need to know that their barcode reader is a “universal reader” that can understand any barcode.
The name of a barcode is like knowing what types of plankton basking sharks eat. It might help you win a quiz but at the end of the day it will do little else for you. This is of course unless you are in marketing and need to implement a mobile barcode campaign.
In fact, shouting around things to professionals calling other peoples’ mistakes inept is a bold reaction born from ignorance or arrogance. Jesting about how big your mobile barcode is just will not and should not happen. Infact, this is exactly the kind of big mouth attitude that will hinder the market and make barcodes end up on the rubbish heap rather than in a killer mobile device. A barcode is a barcode and that is the essence of it.
So, in short there are a couple of differences between a QR Code and a DM Code. And M&S should probably brush up on them.
But for what it is worth - we like the name QR but the code that wins for us is the one least likely to be hacked - DM.
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Thank-you Mark. We really appreciate it. Bena
Mark wrote:
Bena and the GoMo team. Firstly thank you for posting my comment which I appreciate for two reasons.
Firstly, in my personal opinion (having been involved at the forefront of Mobile + 2D for almost 5 years now) I believe Bena and GoMoNews have done a huge amount to support and educate on this subject and that deserves recognition.
Secondly, to publish the correction was a complete indication of how honest and open GoMo reporting continues to be.
Thank you and I hope that on a positive note - that my bringing up the fact that there’s a difference will perhaps make people realise this, having heard practically everyone call a DM a QR for the past 5 years. GoMo have now grabbed the topic by the horns and begun to educate.
Both codes are excellent but, there’s good reason why one needs to know the difference.
Mark
I think they each have their place. QR Codes are more common on ads, magazines, billboards, etc. DataMatrix appears to be more popular in billing (look at your AT&T bill), invoices, products (logistical) tracking.
Why would Data Matrix be more secure? They seem pretty identical in that regard. I’d never heard that argument advanced before.
Bena -
Completely agree that consumers don’t know the difference and don’t need to. We need to make it simple and consistent for consumers by aligning to deliver open standard symbologies and universal readers to the marketplace. I think of symbologies as fonts - different carriers for the information. QR has simply been around the longest and it is becoming a category generic term…much like Kleenex is for tissue. Brands will decide what flavor works best for them based on their business needs…we’ll support ‘em all! Well, all the open standards anyway…
Thanks for keeping the dialogue lively…
Don’t really care what the
MIT Technology Review made the same mistake.
The magazine promotes the use of QR codes, yet goofed and printed a Data Matrix code on their website and in their magazine.
Bena, can you please explain why exactly you state that DataMatrix (DM) codes “are more secure” than QR codes? What would make that so?
I have heard this argument several times. The smaller code is more robust and the Japanese code not so as crime is not such an issue in Japan. This view has been touted to me by several industry leaders since 2007.
When talking about barcodes, we should seperate the symbology, the semantic, and the usage.
- In optical reading you have different symbologies : QR-Code, Datamatrix, EZCode, Beetagg, HCCB… they all have a different look and feel. Some of them are more “secure”, as they are redundant by design. If a part of the picture is missing or corrupted, the code might be readable.
- The semantic is what is encoded in the symbology. A flashcode is a specific kind of Datamatrix that doesn’t have a URL encoded but a unique ID solved by a distant server.
- You might store a URL in a QR-Code, a Datamatrix. You might generate a flashcode or an Upcode that will point to the URL link stored on the server side… That will make no difference for the end user that will go from a code to a mobile website.
But if you want ot use advanced features, most of the time local informations or commands stored in the code… then you will have to choose a specific code, a specific reader and server architecture. On the one hand, that code will not be readable by other readers. On the other hand, you will bring a usefull user experience to your users… This goes far beyond the QR or Datamatrix discussion.
Laurent Tonnelier is the President of mobiLead, a GS1 Worldwide Solution Provider, member of GS1 Mobile Commerce, Extended Packaging workgroup and GS1 Multiple BarCodes workgroup.
Bena Re, “I have heard this argument several times. The smaller code is more robust and the Japanese code not so as crime is not such an issue in Japan. This view has been touted to me by several industry leader”
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I have nothing against Datamatrix BUT several items in your compassion chart are incorrect or misleading.
1. The size of the QR codes are dependent on the content encoded within the code (complexity) and the size chosen to generate it at ( to determine physical size.) They can be generated at sizes equivalent to the DM code.
2. Along with being able to store Japanese characters QR Codes can hold more data then DM if required (see the chart at the bottom of this page: http://www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/aboutqr-e.html).
3. DM is NOT more secure and no less “hackable” then QR Codes. This is propaganda distributed by those companies who are building proprietary services around DM codes. perhaps you are confusing indirect method(via clearing) vs direct method (URL encoded in the code) of linking which both formats can support. Please provide your understanding of how these ” industry leaders” define “hackable” so i can respond specifically.
4/5. “Popularity” might be a tad subjective. I personally see much more energy and use of QR Codes by open systems, grass root efforts, and major brands. When you say DM is becoming a standard in US are you referring to CTIA endorsement of a single bottleneck company (ScanBuy) or NeoMedia patent licensing efforts? I do not think a standard yet exists at this early stage of the US market.
Cheers,
David Harper
Founder & CEO, Delivr
Hi David,
as always love your feedback -but check here:
http://semacode.com/documents/best_2d_code.pdf
I have checked my notes and the security of 2D codes was pushed to me by Nokia at a conference. I unfortunately didn’t type them up and from what I can read it is something about European security and URL encoding.
But I have the opportunity and ability to ask everyone in the industry - and it is my next mission. Poll on its way.
Hi Benq.
Respectfully i submit that this “whitepaper” from 3 years ago was written by a company that has built it’s business around Datamatrix codes.
A good part of this documents highlights the fact that (and i quote from the whitepaper), “Data Matrix and QR Code, as standards, are superior to the proprietary formats.” Proprietary formats are 2D codes such as Scanbuy’s EZcode and Neomedia’s qode.
When you ask me to “check here” — for which of your statements am i checking?
…and when you mention the security of 2D codes (of which QR Codes and Datamatrix are both 2D Codes) what specifically was the statement by Nokia as to QR Codes being hackable and Datamatrix being more secure? Both codes can have implementations that mirror the other.
That being said various 2D codes can have a secure data space that only special readers can decode (for say governmental purposes.) but this has nothing to do with codes that you find in the wild in say a magazines, ad, poster etc.
Cheers,
David Harper
Founder & CEO, Delivr
…written in haste. so apologies for typo in your name and general sentence structure.
keep up the great work bena and thank you for the opportunity to comment.
david
David, respectfully - I can say the same about the Denso White Paper… but I won’t. I didn’t know that all my answers would be put under the microscope!
I see you are compassionate about this and I will do some more research and read my notes and try and clarify. As I have said time and time again, we support ALL mobile barcodes …. GoMo News neutral on this - but from a “mobile” perspective I do personally have a hang-up about Japan. I love the term QR code but memories of iMode (and my devotion to it) plague me.
I will try to forget that hang-up moving forward…
The Denso page I referenced is not a white paper it shows the technical specs re: amount of encoded data various codes can contain. Plan and simple.
My intention was not to place you under a microscope but the comparison chart you provided is extremely flawed.
I would have given you a free pass except for the fact this article was titled. ‘…QR Codes and DataMatrix Codes made simple” — you did not simplify and your position appears far from neutral. Your recommendation based on unsubstantiated security issues is misleading and can only lead to increased confusion.
It’s unfortunate you have a “hang-up” that somehow adds bias. I’m left even more confused as to your position.
Cheers,
David Harper
Founder & CEO, Delivr
Bena,
trust David, you can take out secure and hacked from the table. Both barcodes contain the URL openly/literally (nothing else), there is *never* any encryption applied, what you scan is what you get, makes sense?. Also QR codes are bit larger since they have the three handles.
Best,
Stan
David, I am not sure why you focus on “my position”. In fact I find it extremely strange. If I was biased I would not publish your comments, discuss with you or admit my iMode hang-up. This isn’t about me. I hate to say this but you sound like a group of people on investors hub who have been victimising me lately.
I can’t win either way and I don’t want to win. I like the DM code - that is not biased that is just a fact. I prefer the name QR - that is again not biased. You didn’t like my article so I have put up two polls to ask readers their views and I will respond to the feedback and review.
I have thought for 2 years that the DM code is more secure and that URL’s can be decoded instantly in QR - if this is wrong then I am going to find out - but that isn’t going to happen in 2 hours. It is going to need research and evidence that I am prepared to undertake.
There is not much else that I can do - please feel free to publish anything you like on the topic here to support your views.
thanks bena
Thank-you. May I interview you? Bena
Bena. Bena. I almost feel you are not taking the time to read my comments.
Re: “I have thought for 2 years that the DM code is more secure and that URL’s can be decoded instantly in QR ”
You are mixing concepts.
Let me break at least this one down.
First off, DM Codes and QR Codes can BOTH be generated with an encoded ID that a proprietary reader could “decode” and once forwarded to a clearinghouse a URL can be returned. This is referred to as the “indirect “method. With this method those ID-driven codes can only be created by the proprietary company or their licensees — this controls the code creation, which therefore lends a “level” of security. (This can also be argued. i.e. Why hide the URL behind an ID, URLs in general are openly viewable on the web and in print why can’t URLs within 2D codes — in most NOT all instances — also be freely “read” and acted upon? Long discussion is needed to do this one justice to satisfy both camps . Not prepared to do that in this comment)
DM Codes and QR Codes can also BOTH be generated with a full URL encoded within it — that when scanned takes someone directly to the URL. No need to “look up” the URL. This is called the “direct” method.
So both codes types can be just as “secure.” Both code types can be “decoded instantly.” It depends on the use case, preferred QR code generator, QR reader, vendor, etc.
No need to give one code format a bad rep on this one. Also note most of the ID-driven codes have not been QR or DM but rather proprietary formats that kinda look like DM codes.
The paper you reference (http://semacode.com/documents/best_2d_code.pdf) clearly states this and as i quoted from it before, “Data Matrix and QR Code, as standards, are superior to the proprietary formats.””
Re:” I hate to say this but you sound like a group of people on investors hub who have been victimising me lately.”
I’m trying to correct some reporting inaccuracies that i find important period - I trust people reading them can plainly see that. My intention was NOT to attack you. My sincere apologies if you took this personally or aggressively.
Open note to the world - I’m actually in love with Bena and have personally benefited from her support and advice.
…and the true war is not between QR Code vs Datamatrix vs Proprietary 2D codes. These formats can all peacefully co-exist.
The 2D Code battle currently being waged is one that will decide if support for “Direct method” encoded URLs (QR Code and Datamatrix formats) will be supported on the pre-installed readers delivered to consumers.
If these formats/direct method are not supported then the 2D code space becomes a closed marketplace controlled by a few rather then an open marketplace where anyone can innovate and compete within. My vote is for peaceful co-existence and open.
Cheers,
David Harper
Founder & CEO, Deliv
David, am going to take the time to read all your comments carefully and update the DataMatrix vs QR with a more comprehensive table. Thanks bena.
Bena. Thank you for providing an open forum to discuss this. David
[...] a link that talks about the security of QR codes versus Data Matrix codes. QR codes can be hacked (www.gomonews.com/armageddon-qr-codes-and-datamatrix-codes-made-simple/). So, I’m not sure what all this is saying, I did pause yesterday when I was downloading, [...]