We saw some interesting information within New York-based Scanbuy Inc. [1]’s recently-released mid-year ScanLife Mobile Barcode Trend Report.
Scanbuy is a leader in mobile barcode solutions. Its report, which focuses on data collected globally from April 1/11 through June 30/11, reflects the accelerated adoption of mobile barcode technology, including QR Codes, by code publishers and end-users as well as the various changes that have developed around the use and scanning of these codes.
While obviously UPC codes, or products, scanned by the ScanLife app are key in the survey, the survey showed that retail and wireless industries generated some of the most scanned 2D barcode campaigns, which reflects a strong presence of QR codes used on products, store displays, free standing inserts and print ads.
Further, Android OS is the platform that generates the most scans; however the share of iOS increased 7% compared to Q1, 2011, while Android and Blackberry has a 4% and 3% decrease, respectively.
“The Scanlife app is now producing 20,000 app activations every day with user activity rates consistently increasing from what we saw a year ago, and in some countries, like the U.S., almost half of all smartphones have downloaded an app capable of scanning a QR code,” says Mike Wehrs, president and CEO of Scanbuy. “These results show consist growth in consumer adoption, which will continue to increase more rapidly as we see more codes published by brands, resellers, marketers and advertisers.”
The ScanLife Code Management Platform generates interoperable code formats such as QR Codes and Datamatrix codes that can be read by any standard reader giving marketers and publishers access to the most open and advanced barcode solution. In North America alone, an estimated 45 million smartphones now are capable of reading open QR codes.
Data for this report was gathered from the ScanLife Reporting Server, which collects anonymous analytics from both the ScanLife mobile application and 3rd-party 2D barcode applications on codes that are being published by ScanLife customers and 3rd-party generators.
Scanbuy is the leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions that use the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife solution consists of a multi-barcode reader application, interoperable Code Management Platform and a World-class Business Intelligence engine. The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Italy and Denmark.
Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable 2D barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices.
The ScanLife system now processes on average more than one scan per second as compared to 10 scans per minute a year ago.