Near Field Communication

Near field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in close proximity to each other. Co-invented by NXP Semiconductors and Sony in 2002, NFC technology is being added to a growing number of mobile handsets to enable mobile payments.

The Near Field Communication Forum (NFC Forum) formed in 2004 promotes sharing, pairing, and transactions between NFC devices and develops and certifies device compliance with NFC standards.

NFC devices can read NFC tags to get more information or an audio or video presentation. NFC can share a contact, photo, song, application, or video.

Uses of NFC:

It is used in Social Networking to instantly share a contact, photo, video or a url.

It expands eCommerce opportunities increases transaction speed and accuracy which in turn increases productivity.

An NFC device may make a payment like a credit card by touching a payment terminal at checkout or a vending machine when a PIN is entered.

Tap an NFC device to purchase rail, metro, airline, movie, concert, or event tickets.

Microsoft Tags

High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) is the name coined by Microsoft for its technology of encoding data in a 2D "barcode" using clusters of colored triangles instead of the square pixels traditionally associated with 2D barcodes. Data density is increased by using a palette of 4 or 8 colors for the triangles, although HCCB also permits the use of black and white when necessary.

A Microsoft Tag is essentially a machine readable web link, analogous to a URL shortening link: when read, the Tag application sends the HCCB data to a Microsoft server, which then returns the publisher's intended URL. The Tag reader then directs the user's mobile browser to the appropriate website.

You can create and deploy Tags, scan them with a single reader, analyze the results, and update the content anytime without changing the Tag. You can create custom Tags, tailor the consumer experience based on their location and mobile device, and deliver a wide range of content, from product details and videos to interactive games and apps.

Belkin QR Code

Belkin International, Inc., is a Californian manufacturer of computer hardware that specializes in connectivity devices launches packaging QR code campaign on select networking products.

Belkin International’s packaging features QR barcodes on select networking products. When Scanned from the smartphone with a QR reader it takes the user to belkin's mobile site where users can find more info on the particular product.

The QR codes are cost effective means of connecting the physical world to the interactive world and driving traffic to their mobile internet site.

Mobile bar code scanning increases by 4549% on a YOY basis

Mobile bar code scanning has increased by 4,549 percent in the first quarter of 2011 on a year-over-year basis, according to a Mobio Identity Systems study.

With the increase in smartphone purchases for both iPhone and Android devices, which have a pre-installed QR reader, there is growing awareness among consumers of QR codes compared to a year ago.

In terms of the type of media scanned, social media accounts for 70 percent of scans, TV 22 percent, the physical world four percent, online three percent and print one percent.

The iPhone is the most popular scanning device, followed by the iPod Touch and then, Android