So, hot off the press is Cell C’s latest innovation, Photocodes. This technology allows South Africans to access information on their mobile phones by using QR codes.
What are QR codes?
A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The “QR” is derived from “Quick Response”, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.
QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes. Most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera.
What’s Cell C got for us?
Cell C will introduce PhotoCode to the public in conjunction with media partners, YOU, Huisgenoot, People, Sunday Times, The Times, 5FM, Multichoice and Oppikoppi and it will be will be rolled out further via retailers, restaurants and bars, amongst others.
Cell C’s PhotoCodes can unlock a host of new experiences for customers and Reichelt (Cell C CEO) says new applications are being devised almost daily. “All customers have to do is download the PhotoCode reader, then point and snap,” he says.
Here’s my very own Photocode:
How PhotoCode works:
Step 1
Get the PhotoCode reader (Yes, it’s available for the iPhone too!):
- sms your name to 32357 (R1.00 cost to Vodacom and MTN users)
- you’ll receive an sms with a download link
- click on the link to download
Step 2
Keep a look out for a Cell C PhotoCode in participating media
Step 3
When you spot one, snap a photograph of it using your PhotoCode reader
Step 4
Experience the world the Cell C way
To find out more, visit http://www.cellc.co.za/services/photocode
Or to skip paying R1 just visit http://cellc.beetagg.com ;)
since when is a 15 year old technology a ‘latest innovation’.
perhaps the marketers at cell c need to focus on getting cell c into the same level as the blue and yellow cellular companies before introducing big fat OLD white elephants as innovation.
pathetic if you ask me… especially when you consider apps on iphones that can take pictures of book covers and almost instantly give you a review of the product. Especially cool for when you are unsure about a book, game, video etc.
bah… cell c sucks.
I don’t quite understand why CellC chose to use the BeeTagg format as opposed the more widely used and more popular QR Code format. This now means you need to download a specific application to scan these codes, whereas most readers support QR.
Agree with the commenter above, this is old technology. It is huge in Japan, and I think CellC may be onto a white elephant here ;)
Terrible Gerhard, just terrible ;)
TBH I will agree with you on the age of the technology … but QR/2D codes have not shown their true potential in the market place. (esp in Africa) but they still have some good legs to stand on.
http://mashable.com/2010/07/13/calvin-klein-qr-code-billboard/
I dont understand why they went with a random ‘design’ of one and not the industry std, but whatever. Now I just cant wait for more people to get trolled/infected with spam/malware following QR/2D code links to 0day exploits. fun n games.
I think it’s cool to see local companies making use of this technology, despite it not being cutting edge technology, just cool to see the local uptake. I must admit, I wondered about why they didn’t use the standard format, weird choice.
Oh, Happy Birtday dude!
How you like this one: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs083.ash2/37491_467295616101_702091101_6268027_7823896_n.jpg
Eish. I’m with Marc on this one. White Hephalump.
I like the hexagonal shape but why not use the standard QR code used everywhere else in the world?
This is like building another mobile IM platform that is network specific to ‘compete’ with the big hairy gorilla in the same space.
It’s been interesting watching the public’s response to this. I think they’re very cool, but as most of you have said, they should have gone for the standard format for the QR code, this would be far more widely accepted and far more accessible.
I’m not entirely sure why they went this direction, but I have a call with Cell C’s marketing team on Monday, so I’ll try and address that exact question and keep you all posted.
Thanks for your comments.
Because its an old technology does it mean that it won’t work here in SA? I agree with halicon that Cell C shouldn’t market it as a ‘latest innovation’, however I do think that it has potential as it is relatively new to SA. There are quite a few qr code decoders out there to choose from, just interested to know why they chose Bee Tag
@Clinton – I definitely think it could work, last time QR codes hit South Africa, most of the public didn’t have access or understanding, therefore this time it will most probably have a bigger impact; I think the main problem is that they changed the standard layout, which is what people are complaining about..
After doing some research and chatting to Cell C, what I can gather is that the reason why are not using the old QR Codes is from an improvement point of view. The original QR codes were good, but the Photocode has made it far easier to create codes as well as made them easier to read by devices.
The PhotoCode reader can read the old QR codes, so it’s not as though they’re trying to reinvent the wheel, they’re catering for the old ones as well.
I guess it does make sense to a point, technologies advance and the requirement to create things quicker and easier is always on the cards.
What you guys think?
Thanks for the update Chris. :)
I still call bullshit though. QR Code technology is by no means old, hell it’s all the craze in Japan right now. That said, BeeTagg(Photocode) is a “newer” technology, but that’s only because it is a proprietary code that BeeTagg invented.
The Photocode reader CAN read QR codes, no doubting there, but other QR Code readers’ CAN’T read the BeeTagg(Photocode). This is going to make life difficult for the likes of Nokia users who have QR Code readers installed by default on the newer Nokias, but will now have to pay R1 and WAP costs to download a new application, which they now need to learn how to use.
I know I will be watching with keen keen interest to see how CellC take this forward, and if it succeeds. Mashable had an interesting article(http://mashable.com/2010/07/20/qr-codes-mainstream/) the other day about this, how QR Codes in the US, are going mainstream, but battling.
Google launched something a while back, whereby they would send stickers to companies, with a specific QR Code on, which would then redirect to their business page listing on Google Maps. I haven’t heard too much about it since, which goes to show, that even the US aren’t ready for this technology.
I think, at the end of the day, South Africa is still very “new” to this type of technology, whether it is QR or BeeTagg.
TBH, I don’t think CellC did their homework on this one, and perhaps BeeTagg is also to blame here by selling them BeeTagg(Photocode).
Good luck to CellC, and hopefully in a couple of months time, I don’t need to eat my words ;)
QR code stand a good change to make it big in africa, the only problem is educating people.
remember that 5 years ago USSD was a foreign concept in SA. untill big companies like banks, telecoms start using it in mobile banking, please call me service and recharging pre paid air time. people still don’t know what is USSD but they use it everyday.
you don’t have to tell consumers about the technology just offer them when they need it. ie. commuters in public areas like JHB and PTA spend 1 hours while buying ticket and be in a queue for taxi. in this case the commuter can
use m-ticketing to buy ticket and just go through the scanning gate. they don’t have to know what is the technology. that is the secret.
Ok ! So now I have downloaded my BeeTag Reader and I am all set to go. So whats in it for me ? I am told to just hang around until I see a BeeTag in some media and then to flash my phone out and GRAB ! What will I get ? A cool offer that ACTUALLY gives me something I can use or just another link to some mindless Cell C advertising trying to con me into another cell phone deal where they score and I dont ? Sorry but I prefer to know upfront where the BeeTag will lead me too before I can decide that its worth the effort.