Mobile barcode solutions provider Scanbuy announced a deal with Sony Ericsson, which will pre-load the ScanLife mobile barcode application on its handsets. Such phones [with pre-installed software] are already being sold in Spain, Italy, and Mexico; with more countries to follow in the coming months.
For those unfamiliar with ScanLife’s offering, here’s an excerpt from the press release:
The ScanLife mobile application uses the camera phone to read all major 1D and 2D barcode formats including Datamatrix, EZcode, QR, UPC, and EAN. The application scans a code to immediately launch a specific action like displaying a website, loading a video, dialing a phone number and more. This makes all physical objects interactive and removes the need for a user to type long URL’s or search for information using keywords.
Finally, it’s worth pointing out that Sony Ericsson is just a tip of the iceberg. ScanLife app works across multiple platforms — including Android, BlackBerry, BREW, iPhone OS, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile. It is available as a free download from this page.