Annalien Realty Blog

What is a QR code?

QR is short for “Quick Response” and is special type of barcode designed to be used with mobile phones. Its purpose is to get information onto your phone quicker and easier by using the built in camera as a barcode scanner. The phone uses special software to recognise the barcode image captured by the camera and decodes it into human readable information.

A typical example if how this technology can be used is saving contact information to an address book. Instead of typing a person’s contact details into your phone, one could now simply scan the QR code with a camera phone and all the contact information is instantly saved to the phone’s address book. By including a QR code on your business card, a person can easily and accurately add all your information to their address book in one quick scan.

There are many other ways this technology could be used. For instance, by displaying a QR code on your advertising, potential customers could be redirected to a special page on your website with more product information or contact details.

Currently scanning QR codes requires installing one of many free applications, but I won’t be surprised if all smartphones will support this feature out of the box in the very near future. How you go about scanning barcodes depend on the type of cellphone you are using. The links below are short tutorials on how to do barcode scanning on a specific type of smartphone :

• Blackberry
• Iphone
• Android

Why you should care

The QR code technology is starting to gain momentum and we haven’t seen its full potential yet. The more people get comfortable with it, the bigger it’s impact is going to become in our lives.  For the man in the street, this is a wonderful time saving technology that should be embraced. The more we use it, the better it will become, and the more useful it will be.

For companies and professionals now is a great time to start applying this technology in new and innovative ways. Not only could they stand to benefit from it financially, but their image as a progressive and industry leading enterprise will also be enhanced.