Two nice mobile barcode stories caught my attention today. First, San Francisco International Airport has created a ticketing service based on barcodes. More interestingly, an Australian trial is testing whether 2d barcodes could be used to make people eat more healthily.
San Francisco:
There have been regular stories about airports adopting 2d barcodes as the best way to replace printed tickets. But San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the first airport in the Bay area to use the technology. The process is adopted a lot because it is so simple. After you book your ticket (on-line or by phone), your airline sends you an MMS with a 2d barcode in it:
All of your flight information is stored on a secure on-line location, and this barcode is your link to it. Anyone at SFO who scans that code will immediately be able to see your ticket info. So you can use it to get through security, and to board your plane. It cuts down on both queueing time and on printing costs. The SFO implementation is also backed the Transportation Security Administration of the States, so its security is guaranteed at a governmental level.
Australian trial:
The possibilities inherent in printing 2d barcodes on products has not escaped industrial attention. Packaging and label printers like Prinovis and DuPont have been getting involved with barcoding leaders like NeoMedia and Scanbuy, to try and integrate mobile barcodes into everyday shopping. The idea is that shoppers could scan a mobile barcode on ANY item, and have their phone directed to info about deals on the item, similar products, in-store promotions or anything else that might be useful.
GS1, the international standards body that maintains traditional shopping barcodes worldwide, is also getting involved. At the moment it’s running a trial in Australia with a nutritional therapist in Victoria University (VU). Carla Battaglia is running an 8 week trial to see if mobile barcodes can help direct consumers to healthier foodstuffs. The participants are being provided with camera-phones, with technology on board developed by VU and Acratus and QSN Technology. GS1 Australia is providing it’s database of over 1 million Australian consumer products. When one of the participants scans a code, it will not only provide them with the nutrional information of the product, but also ping them a warning if the product is a risk for those with diabetes or other medical conditions.
What we think?
Stories about airlines adopting barcode ticketing are getting to be old hat at this stage. So many airports are adopting the technology worldwide that it will only be a matter of time before every flight you take can be boarded via barcode.
The Australian trial is more interesting. The integration of every day consumer life and mobile barcodes is happening faster and faster. There are already numerous shopping applications that use barcodes, but as larger companies like DuPont and GS1 get involved the industry will be pushed harder towards standardisation – which is when the real fun will begin.
