The GSMA and the OMA are joining forces to support one form of mobile barcode.
They’re throwing their collective weight behind the Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2), which is led by barcode specialist NeoMedia and comprises its subsidiary, Gavitec plus Publicis, Hewlett-Packard, Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Nokia, Qualcomm and Telefonica O2.This month, the GSM Association and the Open Mobile Alliance will launch a drive in which the GSMA will encourage operators to adopt interoperable business models for mobile codes and raise their profile, while the OMA will specify technical standards.
A lot of faith is being placed in mobile marketing based on 2D barcodes because they makes the mobile internet instantly accessible to consumers and removes technical and UI barriers.
William "Chip" Hoffman, CEO of NeoMedia, said: "We are creating the mobile equivalent of 'hyper-text' for broadcast and print media. Mobile barcodes allow brands and consumers to interact on static media the same way they do on the web; cross-country and cross-carrier. With this wireless technology and the associated systems supporting it, old-media becomes new-media."
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