Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Geek Stuff

My colleagues and I have been discussing QR codes and how they can enhance a corporation's customer relationship management efforts. I created this QR code, which is linked to my Flickr Photostream. I'll be using it for demos in future discussions. I might even have it printed on business cards.

If you aren't familiar with what a QR code is, here is a snippet of what Wikipedia has to say:
"A QR Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data...Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR Codes can be used to display text to the user, to add a vCard contact to the user's device, to open a URI or to compose a text message or email. Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.

QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards, or on just about any object about which users might need information. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the phone's browser. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks."

Scan the code below with your camera phone app and you'll be brought directly to my Flickr Photostream.

qrcode

Pretty cool, huh?