By Mark Hendriksen

Bar codes everywhere and on practically everything. The bar code has been around for years and is a familiar sight to everyone.

Nowadays we scan bar codes ourselves with the scanners at the supermarket self-checkouts. The bar code contains relevant data that's meaningful to the retailer and/or the manufacturer. It's 1Dimensional, one directional data and, importantly, it's an open source code.

At the most basic level, the term "open source" simply means the source code is open and available and therefore globally accessible and non-restrictive.

2Dimensional codes are another open source code that is used in packaging and manufacturing, the most prominent of which is a Data Matrix Code.

As with other 2D codes it contains a lot more data -- within a smaller space. The 1D bar code and the DataMatrix are the primary codes used in print, manufacturing and packaging around the world.

Then there are a few other 2D codes that are open source, one of which is the Quick Response (QR) code. Initially developed for use in Japan, it has subsequently become an open source.

Other codes that have sprung up are proprietary codes that ordinarily require special scanners to read them. Then there are color codes and so the list goes on.

Decoding with a mobile phone
Some years ago came a development that enabled mobile phones with cameras to decode a 2D code.

The QR code, created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994 and the Japanese government, drove the initiative to ensure it could be read by mobile phones throughout Japan. Its popularity and use grew rapidly but the evolution has been slow as the original program had limited built- in functionality.

QR codes, being the first and -- with extensive marketing -- the best known, are now seen on advertising and promotions around the world.

QR's strength, as with DataMatrix, is that it holds more data and can be scanned with a mobile phone.
Simply by pointing at a code you can instantly connect to a URL, or Web address. Anything that is built behind that URL is immediately in the hands of the consumer, be it a screensaver, video clip, audio, information, competition, game, promotion -- anything, anytime.

The difference between QR and DataMatrix? Size and potential.

QR will always be 60 percent bigger than a DataMatrix and is fundamentally a mobile bar code whereas DataMatrix can be read by the majority of classic scanners, too.

The DataMatrix therefore extends the possibilities and adds a potential bridge between manufacturer, mobile and consumer applications.

The proprietary codes mentioned earlier bring with them varying degrees of exclusivity. But that often translates to exclusion, limitations, ongoing or premium costs.

So, the code world's connection to mobile seems to be heading for 2D and open source with the frontrunners being DataMatrix and QR.

But, unlike Japan, the wireless carriers in various countries outside of Japan -- who ultimately decide, and not necessarily the manufacturers -- not all are agreeing to permit Mobile Code Readers being pre-installed on the phones. Secondly, there is still much discussion about which code(s) should become standard.

However, the general consensus points towards those that are already established bringing us back to 1D as it is already established, and 2D open source DataMatrix as the longer term probability.

There are some companies who already provide the applications for mobile phones to decode DataMatrix and QR. They include such companies as NeoMedia, 3GVision and UpCode -- any of which provide a free application download to your mobile.

Others exist for decoding of 2D proprietary or alternatives but not always as a free or easily accessible application.

In this article we have only touched the surface of a technology and application that will erupt in the next few years.

Everyone has a mobile, and they usually carry it with them everywhere, which means that every physical object can come to life and interact simply by pointing at it with your phone.

The wow factor, the instant accessibility -- it's a marketers dream. But just like the emergence of the Internet, you can't expect people to pay to simply connect to the Web. The functionality and application must, and is, beginning to evolve.

There is no real enigma. But if you want this technology to work for you, take time to uncover its true potential and not be misled by the hype or masters of disguise -- all is not as it seems.

Mark Hendriksen is CEO of UpCode Mobile Solutions Ltd., a mobile bar code specialist in London. Reach him at .