In terms of business models from scanning, I have been most impressed with
Amazon.co.jp's "Scan Search" service. It does not use QR codes (although I
believe it can), but instead uses the simple 2-D barcode of a book. I am
not sure of the numbers related to this service, but in my opinion, it is an
amazingly elegant use of the mobile platform versus the PC. With Scan
Search, mobile users take Amazon with them to competing retailers and with a
click of the camera can get a competing bid from Amazon, read customer
reviews about those books, etc..
I haven't seen similar applications or uses of QR codes specifically, so
also wonder about the long-term viability of these codes. Although "point
and click on the world" is a powerful dream for the mobile platform, aside
from a few very nice ideas (HyperTag, GeoVector), I don't think anyone has
really figured out a profitable business model on top of this.
Scan search seems to suggest that they will definitely be coming though.
To Jim's question, although I don't have any data to support this, it seems
that advertisements that used to show QR codes (in train stations, etc.) are
now shifting to URLs for direct input. Anyone have any data about the
current state of QR-code usage in ads in Japan?
Philip
-------------
Philip Sugai
Director, Mobile Consumer Lab
Associate Dean, Associate Professor of Marketing
Graduate School of International Management
International University of Japan
777 Kokusai Cho, Minami Uonuma-shi
Niigata, 949-7277 Japan
Received on Wed Feb 13 04:33:46 2008