QR technology scanning the future

by Rosalie Taylor on 25 May 2012 Sit up and pay attention - If you don’t have a QR scanner on your smartphone, it’s about time you did.

The Quick Response code is a matrix barcode (2-dimensional code) used to quickly obtain information about a company or organization.

The barcodes were originally introduced in Japan by the automotive industry to keep track of vehicles to replace a complex serial number.

The technology has taken the world by storm and is now popular in every industry.

You may have seen the seemingly random grouping of dots, lines, and black blur on the back of your cereal box, plastered on billboards or even in fashion store windows.

The image looks more like a pixelated maze or something from a Magic Eye picture book than a useful business tool, but it is shaping up to be the future of web-sharing.

On a basic level, a QR code takes the consumer directly to an internet page, acting in a similar way to a shortened url, although providing ease of access and a faster search time.

It’s as simple as scanning the black and white image using the camera app of a compatible phone.

QR scanners can be downloaded for Iphone and Android operating systems, with some Nokia, HTC, Sony Ericcson and Samsung mobiles also offering the function.

Once the image is scanned, the phone’s browser takes the user directly to the web address associated with the code, be it a Facebook page, website, email address or other web address.

Exhibitors at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show are starting to take advantage of the technology: every exhibitor pass is equipped with an individualized QR code to guarantee recognition and entry.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]

QR coding is certainly paving the way for a faster, easier, more connected technological world.

Look out for QR codes on more and more products and logos in days to come.