Microsoft Colorful Barcode Followup And How It Affects Google

Google may be kicking Microsoft's butt in the PC search space, but Mister Softee has unveiled and acquired some interesting applications that could make them a formidable player in the mobile space.

Microsoft, using a mobile phone, is actually starting to link objects in the physical world, to the Internet.

Yesterday Microsoft's colorful 2d barcode (HCCB) announcement will have a profound impact on Physical World Connection (PWC). The multicolor 2d barcode technology was developed by Microsoft Research to assist in the identification of commercial audiovisual works such as motion pictures, video games, broadcasts, digital video recordings and other media.

In the last few months Microsoft has introduced a:
speech recogntion browser
1d barcode scanner
2d barcode scanner
mobile image recognition engine and an
RFID browser

Is Microsoft developing the operating system for the "Internet of Things"?

Having a day to ponder, I see enormous opportunities for Microsoft in the mobile marketing space and makes my prediction even more likely.

After the DoubleClick-Google deal, it is more important than ever that Microsoft try to "own" the mobile marketing space.

Google, while they are dabbling in print and radio, is still pretty much a digital world player. How will Google connect the physical world to the Net? How will they continue to dominate the Internet advertising space if they are only using SMS for mobile marketing?

See why Google should be, or maybe is, looking at these guys and will offer a 2d code creating site/application. This acquisition would allow Google to offer clients the ability to connect almost ANY physical object to the Internet using existing 1d codes or newly created 2d codes. It would also add billions of objects in their database.

What happens if Microsoft buys them first?

A big transformation will come when physical objects/content are/is linked to the Internet and Microsoft is already in the lead there. I don't see that same size change or demand occurring in trying to make digital content physical.

Once the group starts issuing the barcodes, studios and producers will be able to link their Web sites to that database.

Did Microsoft indirectly just land the entire entertainment industry as a mobile marketing client? What is the next big component, that the entertainment industry uses directly for promotions, that Microsoft should go after? Who is producing the next generation barcode for Physical World Connection?

Thoughts, comments?