Tag: qr code mobile

Tiny, microscopic particles make up invisible labels to track and prevent counterfeit products.

The spotlight has been on QR codes in terms of extreme sizes lately, as records are being broken both on the large and small ends of the scale.

Microscopic barcodes are being used as labels to protect against and track counterfeit goods.

The tiny labels are called microtaggants, and they cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are particles which are used for identification on a microscopic level, so that counterfeit goods can either be prevented or tracked. Though there are many different methods that have been used for this process, it now involves the use of QR codes that are small enough to fit in an area as wide as 80 microns – which is about half a human hair’s diameter.

These QR codes may be small, but they were not able to break the current size record.

Though these QR codes on microtaggants may be exceptionally tiny, and are among the smallest in the world, they have not broken the current record. Instead, Trinity College scientists in Dublin, Ireland were able to achieve that goal earlier this year.

Mircrotaggants, which are the labels that hold the tiny QR codes, are a Microtrace LLC registered trademark. This company specializes in technology to battle counterfeiting on a microscopic level. Using the quick response barcodes is only the latest among many innovations that the company has introduced.

QR codes are seen as beneficial for this purpose because they are capable of holding a great deal more information than other types of these microscopic labels. The barcode can be scanned so that this additional data can be provided.

This anti-counterfeiting development with microscopic QR codes were the result of the work of Korean University professors named S. Kwon and W. Park. They and their teams formed these particle based barcodes which were described in their recently published paper that outlined the process. The most recent edition of the journal Advanced Materials (volume 24) included the report, called “Lithographically Encoded Polymer Microtaggant Using High-Capacity and Error-Correctable QR Code for Anti-Counterfeiting of Drugs”, which received added recognition through a cover image.

Komercni Banka eyes QR codes for new mobile commerce services

Komercni Banka, a leading financial institution in the Czech Republic, has launched a new direct banking service that offers some mobile commerce capabilities to mobile consumers. Unlike other mobile commerce services that revolve largely around the use of NFC technology, Komercni Banka has chosen QR codes as a platform for this new initiative. QR codes are most often used in marketing, but have proven capable of powering mobile commerce in recent months. The financial group believes that QR codes are ideally suited to meet the needs of Czech mobile consumers.

Codes begin breaking away from advertising

QR codes are beginning to break away from the field of mobile marketing, where they have been used extensively over the past years. The codes have shown that they can be powerful engagement tools, but have seen limited use in the field of mobile commerce. Retail companies like the United Kingdom’s Tesco have used the codes in the past for virtual “pop-up” stores, where consumers could scan  the codes to purchase products that were later mailed to their homes.

Consumers can use mobile platforms to make payments

Komercni Banka customers will be able to make payments using QR codes generated by the financial institutions. The codes can be scanned using a generic QR code scanning application or the Mobilni Banka 2 platform developed by the financial group. Users of the bank’s platform will be able to use QR codes to pay bills and issue payments to any company they choose. The new service may be well received among the growing number of mobile consumers in the Czech Republic.

QR codes may be a viable alternative to NFC technology

Mobile commerce continues to  gain momentum around the world, especially where mobile technology penetration is high. Most mobile commerce initiatives rely heavily on NFC technology, which is still rare amongst mobile devices. In order to make mobile commerce more inclusive to a wider range of consumers, organizations like Komercni Banka have been adopting alternatives, like QR codes, which have proven somewhat effective in the past.