Monday, October 15, 2007

Global Standard Set For Mobile Barcode


From Wireless Week IATA Creates Mobile Barcode Standard
barcode ticket
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade body that represents 240 airlines and 94% of scheduled international travel, has reached an agreement on a global standard for mobile barcodes, which it says "paves the way" for air travelers to use mobile phones for check-in at airports.

Regional formatting differences has slowed down the deployment of mobile applications, though several airlines have adopted mobile barcodes for check- bin, there has not been a unified solution.

The IATA solution uses existing codes: Aztec and Datamatrix, which are used extensively in Europe and North America; and QR which is widely used in Japan. All three are proven technologies and can be read by a single scanner type that is available globally.

The association said it hopes to use the standard to begin working with members to develop standardized processes and guidelines to "facilitate global implementation."

The industry has set end of 2010 as the deadline to implement 100% barcoded boarding passes. The association estimates that once boarding passes are 100% barcoded, the industry could save more than $500 million annually

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is Aztec code the exclusive property of Neomedia, or is it a widely used standard?

No Name said...

The Aztec code was invented by Andrew Longacre of Welch Allyn.

They are used for numerous scanning applications.

I would advise reading this to see what NeoMedia really owns, or doesn't own.

Anonymous said...

All of the codes that are included in this standard are traditional industrial 2D codes. The expectation is that they will be installing industrial optical readers at check-in counters and at the gates. These would replace the current laser readers that are being used today when you check in at a plane.

It is worth noting that this standard is quite different than what is needed for mobile phone reading of barcodes. Do not expect that these codes will be read by a standard cell phone or by consumers. Rather they will be expensive fixed industrial installations.

Anonymous said...

Why would your link go to the 10Q when you click THIS?
Why not put a link to Neomedia's home page?
Give your readers a chance to see what the product is about, especially, since most of the codes on their web site are Aztec.
Let them see what surfing the physical world can do for them.

Why are you so bent on forming an opinion for, your, readers on, your, blog?

Why not let them form their opinion and see everything that could help them in their daily lives?

Is it the fact, that you need to save face in light of what is really happening with the NeoReader?

When the NeoReader turns out to do everything that you and Robert Scoble wanted it to do back in 2004, you may end up with banana on you face, and you will lose your credibility. IMO, You had it and lost.

This is not meant as an attack, but, the link is pretty childish.

Jim,
"Do not expect that these codes will be read by a standard cell phone or by consumers."

Why not??, A consumer can currently read Aztec codes with a mobile device and the mobile application Qode.

No Name said...

I post the link to NeoMedia's financial filing because (in my opinion) gives a much clearer picture of the company.

Yes, I did introduce this exciting technology to Robert Scoble a few years back when the company was still in the PWC space. At that time they had approx 80m shares outstanding and appeared to be an excellent high risk-high reward opportunity.

At today's price the company's pro forma shares oustanding are over 3.3 BILLION and their working capital deficit is greater than their market cap.

I think the information the company provides to the SEC is much more informative than any website or message board.

Anonymous said...

Scott
Some people just can't grasp the reality that sometimes investors opinions change about a particular company for very valid reasons. Especially after multiple years pass, and instead of progress, that same company seems to have gone backwards with their technology. Lets take NEOMs IP for instance. Three or four years ago, they were one of the few in this market, but they chose to go with AZTEC codes and their PC at that time. Four years or more later, its obvious to anyone involved in this technology, that QR and DATA matrix are winning out as the codes of choice worldwide. So now NEOM wants to reinvent their PC(QODE) product to make it more open standard. Problem is that they are already behind the Scanbuys etc, who did make their products open standard.

And while in this process, they commited near fatal mistakes as management goes, and the current retail shareholders have been so diluted, that they own less then 20 percent of the company, and Cornell and a couple of the top management own the other 80 percent or more. I haven't done the actual math but I believe those numbers are close.

Then add on the fact that due to these errors the stock is now at all time lows, not seen since the 2002 time period. And some NEOM investors think that everyone should still be supporting this company, and those that arent are up to evil?

Ask anonymous, why he didnt use his normal two alias' he generally uses to spam the blogs about NEOM, and the invisible NEOREADER. Typically he uses either Swampthing or his IHUB identity of In4it.

No Name said...

Response to a post.

"Why not let them form their opinion and see everything that could help them in their daily lives?"...

I think I am helping people, when I provide this information.

These are the facts.

There are plenty of dots in there to connect, however I think the commas give a much clearer picture.

Find the cherries, don't polish the pits.

Anonymous said...

Hey too bad everytime something nice is in the news the NeoMedia Patent discussion is taking over.

IATA News really is good, the Aztec code is a good sales job from HHP and related to their German Railway project. Good to read that the paperless distribution of tickets saves money its also a good example of Clean Tech. The way we talk with public transport companies is to show them the possibilities of personalised communication, in this case checking in and boarding is obvious but what about informing travelers about a gate change or connecting flights per SMS??

No Name said...

Ron,

Agreed. A lot of people in the PWC are sick of hearing that companys name.

Good point on the CleanTech concept. We are entering a "paper-less" society. Barcodes will be transferred from paper products to cell phone displays.

A mobile code opens up a world of exciting dynamic applications.