Calling all Mobile Barcode companies! Time to get on the list.

The time has come for an update of the Top Mobile Barcode Companies list here on GoMo News. It’s a big job, so we’ve left it until after Mobile World Congress. Check out the current list at http://www.gomonews.com/mcodes/. If you want to update your company entry, send me a mail at cian@gomonews.net - and if your company doesn’t appear on the list, that’s an even better reason to mail me! GoMo News is read by 75k+ people every month - and 75% of our readership is based in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. If you want the right readers to see your company details, then get them on the GoMo News list.

Prepare for mobile barcodes on your direct mail marketing

I don’t know about you, but the majority of physical, paper mail that I get nowadays is marketing mail. As a result of a press release I got this morning from a company called MindFireInc, I’ve been doing some reading into how Hewlett Packard supports direct mail marketeers - and how MindFireInc will be integrating mobile barcodes onto the campaigns.

The Mobile Renaissance Guide – a hidden goldmine of mobile stats

Rating: Shouldn’t they have said the .pdf is free?
Somewhat buried by the flurry of announcments at MWC, Barcelona was the launch of the Netsize Guide 2010 – aka ‘Mobile Renaissance’ and its companion web site, www.mobile-renaissance.com. The guide represents the combined opinions of over 1,000 mobile professionals.
When you look at which companies Netsize approached it’s [...]

MWC: bringing SMS and mobile barcodes to railway tickets - the wrong way and the Masabi way

Mobile ticketing company Masabi has an interesting theory about mobile: most people really don’t care about it. I happen to agree with them there - most people just use voice and text. So over the last 8 years, Masabi has concentrated on making a railway ticketing system so simple and pleasant to use that even people who find SMS “new fangled” will appreciate it. I sat down this morning with CEO Ben Whitaker to look over the service… and I liked it. A lot.

NFC still lacks real impetus

Rating: 4 out of 5. Must try harder

As a mobile barcode bashing technology, NFC really has to try harder. It did get a bit of a fillip from the GSMA’s support at MWC 2010. What NFC needs is more NFC enabled handsets and the right focus on markets which actually need NFC.
This year saw the first ever SIM-based NFC payments pilot at a Mobile World Congress. The list of backers was relatively impressive.

@MWC: All eyes on Neustar with a new mobile barcode clearing house and gomocode site

They say copying is the best form of flattery and we here at GoMo News are delighted by the new pilot programme site coming from Neutstar: www.gomocode.com.

Today, Neustar has announced the launch of its Mobile Barcode

Target to use mobile barcodes for customer loyalty rewards

One of the big problems with mobile barcodes is that most of them need special scanning equipment. Cameraphones can install scanning software, but for large retailers the problem is bigger - they need to install special readers at point-of-sale in all of their stores. Massive retailer Target has announced that it will be making this step, and is installing thousands of mobile barcode scanners at locations all over America.

Uh-oh - looks like JAGTAG aren’t alone in app-less mobile barcoding anymore. Scanbuy launches ‘Scan & Send’

It seems like just yesterday that I was singing the praises of mobile barcode operator JAGTAG. But it was actually the day before yesterday. The JAGTAG solution is brilliant in that it allows anyone with a cameraphone to make use of mobile barcodes - not just smartphones. And today global mobile barcode company Scanbuy has announced its own service in the same vein: “Scan & Send”

JAGTAG claims 87% of all US phone owners can use mobile barcodes right now

2d barcodes are one of those technologies that seem perfectly suited to working on mobile phones. The technology can offer a lot to the modern consumer - by the simple step of taking a picture of a barcode, it allows you to gain access to a vast amount of information, special offers and more. Outside of Japan, take up of barcodes has been fairly reserved. However, Seattle-based company JAGTAG claims that right now, almost 90% of all phone owners in the States can use mobile barcodes.

Motorola announces major mobile barcode investment through Scanbuy

Motorola Ventures is the investment branch of the mobile manufacturer - and today it has announced that it is leading an investment round into mobile barcodes. The receiving company is Scanbuy, which maintains the ever more popular Scanlife mobile barcode reader.

Microsoft Tag plays chess with mobile barcodes

Something is happening in the mobile barcodes water. The media interest in Microsoft Tag is evidence that interest is barcodes is moving to the mainstream and the recent success of companies from NeoMedia to Scanbuy to JagTag is showing that the US and South America are proving to be very liquid markets.

Mobile Marketing Mobile Coupon links: 7-Eleven, Mojiva, Google, JagTag, iPad

Mobile Coupon Texting service:
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=10157

7-Eleven Mobile Marketing and Coupons
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-MobileCoupons_01bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3cc5079.html

Google adds clickable phone numbers
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-introduces-clickable-phone-numbers-on-smartphone-web-searches-1885247.html

Mojiva iPad ads
http://blog.mojiva.com/2010/01/targeting-ads-on-ipad-and-other-tablet.html

JagTag goes USA
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=121597

Will the iPad kill the mobile web?
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/apples-ipad-will-kill-its-iphone-and-mobile-web-020

Intel and Warner mobile barcode campaigns miss the mark

A few interesting bits came down the line from Scanbuy today. The mobile barcode company reports on campaigns by two major brands that are integrating 2d barcodes. Intel is using them to advertise a new processor, and Warner Bros. is using them for gaming and television promotions.

Mobile barcode company NeoMedia responds to shareholders

GoMo News has been inundated with requests about NeoMedia for the past few days. The company had issued an 8k form - it’s a report used to notify investors and relevant authorities of unscheduled events. Shareholders and other observers noted two things. First, that a reverse stock split had greatly increased the value of individual shares, but also greatly reduced the number of shares available. Second, that that an outside agency called Yorkville Advisors had been granted a 52% voting control - and no explanation was given for this. Yesterday we let concerned shareholders know that a response was coming from NeoMedia CEO Iain McCready within a day or two. And here it is:

NeoMedia preparing response to share queries

GoMo News is being hammered with requests for information on recent goings-on with NeoMedia. By email, SMS, voice call and comment, a lot of people want to know more details about the recent change in NeoMedia share values. GoMo has been in contact with NeoMedia through various channels - including directly with Iain McCready, NeoMedia CEO. We can tell you that he is preparing a response, and that we’ve made further contact today and are currently waiting on word back. As soon as we know the details, you will too.

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