QR Codes and It's Uses

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the popularity of quick response codes in this country today is exactly what is going to pave the way for us to hop on board the NFC train. As you should all know, I am already on board hence ?nfcnearfieldcommunication.org? but I do realize a lot of America is not quite there yet.

Qr Codes are used for website and product advertisements, company and even government discount(through the US post office!!) and basically everything you can imagine. You can't go anywhere without seeing a qr code these days. After you read this I challege you to go the rest of the day without seeing at least one. The difference between barcodes and qr codes is that the qr codes actually stores information allowing it to be picked up by free software on any computer rather than barcodes that need to be scanned by a special device owned by a retail location. Qr codes also have special abilities such as immediately tossing you into a website just by scanning the code. Sound Familiar? The very same thing is possible using near-field communication by simply waving your phone past an nfc hotspot. In my opinion, nfc is easier and much more convenient.

Typically a smart phone is required for scanning qr codes, because the software you need to download in order to scan the code is usually a smart phone only application. The possibilities could be fairly endless. Instead of them being something that is independent of barcodes, why can't they just replace barcodes? If they were used instead of barcodes for the purchasing of products in retail locations it could allow customers to price check things in the store using their own cell phones or even give the customer product reviews and information just by scanning the code. This technology is currently being used for everything up to and including museum attractions. If you scan the code in front of the igloo at the museum your phone will come up with the history of igloos or perhaps even a prerecording tour of certain areas of the building.

This technology has the potential to increase sales for companies by making advertisements fun and memorable. Also, qr codes as well as near field communication could be crucial to the future of education. Imagine a textbook with an article, resources and pictures with a qr code at the end of a chapter that initiates a quiz or possibly a video detailing what was covered in the chapter or perhaps even new facts and tid bits that were not previously included in the book. This could help in making education fun for children and young adults and hopefully provide an increase in test scores and student performance.

More Qr Code Information and Resources:

• An article by the Huffington Post exploring the possibilities of QR Codes in Education

• An article pondering if it is a good idea to use QR Codes for things other than marketing

• Tips for a successful marketing campaign using qr codes