Wednesday, November 16, 2005

You Say Scan-Commerce, I Say Physical World Connection


I like this term "scan-commerce". A summary of how cell phones will turn into commerce devices when they can scan barcode or take a picture.

E-commerce has grown up. Now get ready for its pluckier younger sibling: Scan-commerce. Several emerging companies -- among them, Scanbuy and NextCode -- are developing applications that help consumers turn their cell phones into pocket scanners.

Download special software to your phone, and you can use Scancode's ScanZoom service, to comparison shop from a store aisle. Say you're in a bookstore and discover a book that looks interesting.

Take a picture of the bar code on the back of the jacket, wait for your phone to connect to the Internet, and you can retrieve reviews or find the retailer offering the best price. Meantime, Semacode is developing a new type of optical bar code that's embedded with a URL.

Think of scan-commerce as e-commerce circa 1996. The two-year prospects are modest. The 10-year prospects are mind-boggling.

What will this need to work? Physical World Hyperlinks

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

When do you believe all this tech will be available to the consumer?

No Name said...

In my opinion, these applications will be available when this happens:

1. Google, MSFT realize that this space is too big to ignore. Either one comes out with an application that a consumer can use and Google can provide a way to generate revenues for it. Then it's a mad dash to get on the small screen.

2. Companies that can provide this technology do a better job of explaining the benefits to service providers and advertisers.

3. When cell phones have the ability to read a barcode. Have you ever tried to take a picture of one with your phone?

Until then, SMS will be the key for mobile marketing campaigns for a while.

We are just starting to see articles that explain where this is going. I don't think the benefits have been explained properly to the service providers.

SP's should take advantage of the leverage they have now before it's too late.

Anonymous said...

With your excellent understanding of this technology why don't you provide your services as a consultant to these companies and explain the benefits to the service service providers and advertisers? Do you do that already?

No Name said...

I started the PP because I felt the physical world connection technology would be enormous.

There will be numerous applications and companies that will benefit from this. It's an advertisers dream with some creativity.

What I do now is create mobile marketing campaigns that use EXISTING technology (SMS).

I have compiled lists of campaigns for brands/industries/mediums using a mobile phone. Some are in use today.

Pondering allows me to create unique powerful mobile marketing campaigns wherever I am.

What I would love to ultimately do, is be a "spokesperson" for this emerging industry, or be a consultant/idea guy for a company in this space.

It's still very early on, and I realize we are still in the concept phase.

The numerous PP posts I have made explaining PWC, and the references to PP from various tech biggies should qualify as a "resume" of sorts.

Anonymous said...

I second that idea Wolfin9. If there ever was a company with so much promise and things that need to be shouted from the rooftops it is Neomedia. Go ahead and call them PP and tell them I said you would be a Great Spokesperson for them. (I sure they would listen with my endorsement)
GET ER DONE
Larry