14 DAY TRIAL // I have been watching Microsoft Tag’s evolution since the technology was still in Beta, and please allow me to make a small prediction: the best is yet to come. Approximately a year ago the Redmond company completed the Beta stage of its barcode technology involving (High Capacity Color Barcodes (HCCBs)) and, with 1 billion tags already printed, made it available to customers.
Fast forward 12 months and with no less than 5 billion tags already printed, Microsoft Tag is witnessing amazing growth, with 3 billion of them printed in the past half a year alone.
“Brand adoption and consumer engagement continue to build, with March being our strongest month to date, due to several high-profile, well-executed campaigns,” revealed Aaron Getz, general manager of Microsoft Tag.
“We continue to have tremendous success within publishing and also see increasing usage by retailers, consumer packaged goods companies and movie studios.”
I did an interview with Getz last year which is still available on Softpedia, for those of you that want to gain additional insight into Microsoft Tag.
In March 2011, customers scanned Microsoft Tags over 50% more than any other month since the technology was introduced.
Users need only install the free Microsoft Tag client on their mobile phone and scan barcodes with the device’s camera.
Microsoft Tag ensures that analog materials in traditional media are seamlessly bridged with digital content, providing enhanced user experiences. Consumers must agree, since 2.5 more people are using scanning Microsoft Tags then three months ago.
Recently, Summit Entertainment used Microsoft Tag to promote Source Code, a movie sci-fi action thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan.
However, users can also see Microsoft’s barcode technology in campaigns from Procter & Gamble, USA TODAY, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and Woman’s Day.
“We’re adding more Tags across multiple issues as we see increased engagement from our readers,” revealed Carlos Lamadrid, editor of Woman’s Day. “Most recently, we used Tag for a sweepstakes in March and saw record participation.”