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Shiny and New - What are QR Codes and how can you profit from them in your business? Last time you were flipping through your favourite magazine or Sunday newspaper or even drinking your favourite tipple, you may have notices a small, digital–looking image on one or more of the advertisements (see illustration below). What is it? It’s a “Quick Response” code or ‘QR’ code for short.
 A QR code is a specific matrix barcode (or two dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, your company website URL or other data.
The concept was initially created by Toyota for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing; however, QR codes have been largely adopted by advertisers that want to target mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR codes can be used to display text to the users, to add a vCard contact to the user’s device, to open a URL or to compose an e-mail or text message. Users can also generate and print their own QR codes for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR code-generating sites.
So how could you use this? Some companies are smartly using this technology to drive sales by allowing people flipping through a magazine or waiting at a bus stop to get more information on a product, connecting the dots to get people to buy much faster than through more traditional methods. Others are putting QR codes on permanent coupons or on their business cards to allow would-be prospects an instant way to get more information about their business.
Now that you know what they are I bet you will be seeing them all over the place on your travels, through your home and in business life.
You can get a free QR code by going to http://qrcode.kaywa.com
Garry MacDonald is Managing Director of Helios IT Ltd. To schedule your free “27-Point Problem Prevention Network Audit” to speed up your network performance, improve your company productivity and lower its operational costs please contact Helios by phone on 028 9094 5542, or email
Content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute professional or other advice. Why not have a look at some past Expert Insights provided by Helios IT... Fingers in Gear, Brains in Neutral - The 'Send' Safety Net Spring Cleaning: Tidy up that hard drive Make Managers Mobile - A Buyers Guide What's the difference between a Virus, Spyware, Adware and Malware? |
