Scanbuy, Inc., a global provider of wireless commerce solutions, today announced a global partnership agreement with Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, to preload Scanbuy’s mobile marketing software on Nokia handsets. The Greater China region (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau) will be the first of a planned multi-market rollout for Nokia and Scanbuy, Inc.The Scanbuy technology will allow users of the Nokia S60 and S40 handsets to recognize and decode barcodes on products, media and advertising and to link directly to content and services from their handsets.
"We are thrilled to team up with Nokia to bring our technology to the largest mobile market and eventually the rest of the world," said Jonathan Bulkeley, Chief Executive Officer of Scanbuy, Inc. "Within the next 24 months we expect 2D barcodes to become ubiquitous within Greater China as marketers and media deploy codes on all products and advertising."
According to Informa Telecoms and Media, the global mobile market is expected to reach almost 3 billion by the year 2010 with Asia, the Middle East and Africa experiencing the highest growth rates. The new mobile user is seeking a more personal and context-sensitive experience. 1D and 2D bar code technology provides a seamless experience to navigate the physical world using a camera phone. Consumers can scan for product information on price, availability, features, rebates, special offers or similar products. Consumers can also scan embedded information in product advertisements and catalogs, create shopping lists, purchase items or link to the Web for more information.
Source: PR Newswire
I still think NFC is the future, this is just a temporary solution.