A QR code ("Quick Response" code) is a type of two-dimensional bar code which can be easily scanned using the camera of a smartphone and decoded using one of many free QR code reader applications.
One of the great things about QR Codes is the ease of creating one. Depending on the type of data encoded into the QR codes, the resulting actions may vary.
QR Codes can be created and displayed on many forms of print media and provide a way to connect your print media to the word wide web — primarily the mobile web.
QR Codes were originally created in 1994 for the automotive industry as a method of tracking vehicle parts throughout the manufacturing process. In 2002, a group of mobile network providers, phone makers and various service businesses collaborated to utilize the cameras of cell phones as bar code scanners. The bar code of choice was inevitably the QR Code. By 2007 (5 years later), 90% of Japanese mobile users recognized QR codes and 50% were scanning them.
It wasn't until more recently that QR codes have become widely received throughout the world. We now find QR Codes being used in a variety of applications all over the world.
QR Codes are not the only type of two-dimensional bar codes out there. There are several others that are seeing considerable exposure in the market. Each one has its own pros and cons.
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Microsoft tags |
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ATT Codes |
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Micro QR Codes |
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Branded QR Codes |
Also, learn about dynamic QR codes
