Snap for information
Theo Boshoff
Cell C is changing the way retailers and consumers interact and disseminate information with the launch of PhotoCodes.

Many people have wondered what those funny-looking boxes are on the covers of overseas magazines and on some posters – the ones that remind you of the 3D-squint-your-eyes pictures of the 90's.

They are called QR codes, and are the modern day barcodes used by retailers to capture and disseminate more information to the public than the traditional barcode. Consumers use their cellphones to snap a pic of the QR code and can get more information on that specific product, helping them decide if they want to buy it or not. Overseas, QR codes can be used to immediately take users to a specific webpage with relevant information, video clips demonstrating how a product works, or a simple image display, giving potential buyers more of the information they need.

We have not seen much of them in SA, but the rest of the world has been using QR codes for quite some time.

According to Cell C CEO, Lars P Reichelt, Cell C’s PhotoCode is powered by the Swiss company BeeTag’s software.

There are a myriad of possible uses for the technology, which Reichelt says local companies have not yet embraced, noting that local bands can even use it to share their latest tracks, images, wallpapers and ringtones to more people through cellphones.

The technology will be introduced to the local public in partnership with YOU, Huisgenoot, People, Sunday Times, The Times, 5FM, Multichoice and Oppikoppi, and will be rolled out through other retailers in the future.

To find out more about this technology and how it works, visit http://www.cellc.co.za/services/photocode.