NeoMedia Increases Sales of Mobile Scanners

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in camera-initiated transactions for mobile devices, announced today the deployment of Gavitec's EXIO mobile phone scanners at concerts around Europe.

Fans and concert goers purchase electronic tickets over the internet and instantly receive a text message containing a two dimensional code (Data Matrix or QR) on their mobile phone. The code can easily be scanned at the concert's point of entry by mobile scanners for immediate event access. In doing so, NeoMedia demonstrates the use of optically processed mobile codes for real-world financial transactions.

Mobile scanners are currently installed at various concerts in Germany, the PinkPop Festival in the Netherlands, the Christina Stürmer's concert in Austria, and the Dutch singer Guus Meeuwis concert. Attendees who utilize mobile phone ticketing have increased at each new event and have discovered the benefits of paperless mobile ticketing, thanks to NeoMedia's technology. The innovation of mobile ticketing combined with 2D barcodes continues to gain broad consumer acceptance. In the future, mobile ticketing will be a standard ticketing method at multiple large scale events around Europe and at international venues. Why? Because nothing is easier!

"The future belongs to mobile ticketing and other financial transactions using NeoMedia's technology," stated the CEO of Gavitec AG -- mobile digit and subsidiary of NeoMedia Technologies, Dr. Christian Steinborn. "The application of NeoMedia's technology at concerts in Germany, Austria and in the Netherlands was a great success. For us, our clients, and concert goers; mobile ticketing means eliminating printed admission tickets (which can be lost) and no queues in front of the cash desk. Instead, mobile ticketing allows for easy, quick, and smooth handling."

Dr. Steinborn continued, "Through the network operators, event managers and ticket shops can benefit from mobile ticketing to generate higher sales through data transmission of mobile tickets, winning additional clients by introducing innovative ways of distribution, and creating a personalized database with client information and reliable access control."

Sprint Powers Campus Scavenger Hunt With qode

Case Western Reserve University students are among the first in the country to use 2D barcode cell phone technology to explore their school's campus during this year's orientation scavenger hunt.

The traditional scavenger hunt during Case Western Reserve University's new student orientation has taken a high-tech turn. Using cell phones equipped to scan special barcodes, students can gather clues and information about campus facilities and landmarks.

Case Western Reserve students are among the first in the country to experiment with these cell phones that can convert barcodes into links to mobile websites, e-mail addresses, videos, or wherever the barcode directs the viewer.

2D barcodes are more commonly used in Asian countries, especially Japan, where cell phone use has outpaced computer use, according to Robert Sopko, the university's information technology services manager of strategic technology partnerships. In Asia, 2D codes appear in television ads, on billboards, or signs and in magazines.

Sprint, a partner of Case Western Reserve University for a number of years to advance the use of technology in education, approached the university to see if there would be interest in investigating the potential of this new mobile technology. Sopko saw the opportunity to test the equipment during student orientation. "We are all about discovery here," said Sopko, "and we enjoy introducing students to new technology."

The cell phone provider lent the school 48 cell phones equipped with NeoMedia Technologies' optically initiated mobile code reading technology, and allowed the students and orientation staff to make calls and play with the phone's features. In turn, students and staff are providing Sprint with feedback and ideas about how this type of technology might be incorporated in the classroom.

Kate Police, assistant director of new student and parent programs, oversees orientation on campus. She jumped at the opportunity to bring some new life to the traditional "paper clue" scavenger hunt designed to acquaint new students with some 21 campus facilities and landmarks that students will use or visit. University student and orientation executive board member Andrew Boron, a senior from Buffalo, took on the task of creating the barcodes and links. He added videos and music, such as Pink Floyd's Money for the financial aid office, to bring a touch of humor to the game. Boron said he enjoyed playing with the new technology.

"I'd love to have something like this," he said.

While the Case Western Reserve University scavenger hunt awards prizes to the orientation group traveling to the most sites within 30 minutes, the new phones allow the staff to track where groups are and what they are doing.

Since the phones have arrived on campus, some faculty already see possibilities for the classroom and have begun investigating them, Sopko said. "This has been a good exercise of discovery and how we can be leaders in using this technology."

Warner Music Powers CD Launch With qode®

Tuesday July 31st marked the long awaited and highly anticipated CD release by Don and Drew on the Warner Music label in Singapore.

The single, "Bouncy Bouncy Smack Smack" has been #1, and at the top of the Singapore music charts for the past seven weeks. The catchy hip-hop infused club favorite exploded overnight and has been burning up the radio airwaves ever since.

Within each CD case will be a special qode® insert inviting users to download the application onto there cell phone and click on the 2D code to connect to the mobile web and download free exclusive content, such as wallpapers, pictures, and music clips.

NeoMedia Technologies' strategic partner Avanzare Solutions is responsible for the qode implementation, in conjunction with MediaCorp and Warner Music Singapore. Avanzare, a Singapore-based company providing telecommunications, network products, and services including design, consultancy, installation, and maintenance services to business customers in Asia, is providing a platform for NeoMedia's optically initiated mobile code reading technology.

NeoMedia's Gavitec Partners With Clear Channel

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in camera-initiated transactions for mobile devices, announced today, for the third time Gavitec AG - mobile digit, the leading provider of mobile technologies and marketing solutions and a NeoMedia wholly owned subsidiary, implements mobile enterprise solutions using NeoReader technology in outdoor ad campaigns.

Clear Channel Inc. recently deployed an enterprise application based on NeoMedia's new NeoReader application representing its next generation of client software. The solution is also being used by companies such as Ströer, Germany's largest supplier of out-of-home media, and AWK, UK's outdoor advertising agency. NeoReader and its associated applications, allow Clear Channel to link users directly to specific web pages, access mobile enterprise applications, retrieve real time information, or place orders. With this revenue producing project, NeoMedia again demonstrates a myriad of uses for its optically initiated mobile applications.

The mobile enterprise system developed for Clear Channel uses standard mobile phones to replace portable terminals. Camera phones equipped with customized software using NeoMedia's new NeoReader technology; billposters are able to read 2D codes on posters and billboards via camera phones. Instantly, results and responses of billpostings are documented and forwarded to Clear Channel resource planners. Camera phones serve as organizational tools and quickly provide billposters with the required information for poster placement. This process allows for Clear Channel to substantially increase the efficiency of its billposting. England's leading outdoor advertiser is now enabled to adapt poster campaigns on short notice and offer its clients a highly flexible use of advertising space.

Clear Channel's application relies on NeoMedia's cutting-edge NeoReader technology. By utilizing the NeoReader technology, camera phones are transformed into universal code readers that can read barcodes or two-dimensional codes simply by clicking with their installed camera phone application. Users connect directly to the mobile Internet without URLs or manually entered links. Especially in mobile marketing, NeoReader inaugurates a new era of creative solutions.

"NeoMedia's code-reader technology turns mobile phones into multi-functional tools for ever more and new application areas. The versatility of this software is enormous. It offers completely new possibilities for linking the physical world with mobile content," explains Mario Joußen, CTO of Gavitec AG - mobile digit, a subsidiary of NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. "Wherever small codes can be applied, users of camera phones can -- instantly -- receive content without difficulty."

Since 2D codes can easily be printed in the production process, the NeoReader technology is a reliable and cost-saving alternative compared to conventional RFID-based systems. NeoMedia Technologies introduces the NeoReader as a universal code reader based off the award winning Lavasphere technology developed in Germany. NeoReader reads all common non-proprietary 2D codes (Data Matrix, QR, and Aztec) as well as URL embedded 2D codes and 1D open source codes. This allows the NeoReader user to click on a variety of codes with a single application installed.