Neustar Announces Mobile Code Interoperability

Live 2D Barcode Demonstrations at Mobile World Congress Illustrate Financial, Eco-Friendly and Charitable Applications.

At this week's GSMA Mobile World Congress, Neustar, a provider of innovative solutions and directory services enabling trusted communications across networks, applications, and enterprises around the world, announced the debut of its Mobile Barcode Clearinghouse Services. The services will help expand the reach and targeting capabilities of advertisers and enterprises using 2D Barcodes, drive adoption among consumers, and enable interoperability among mobile operators, ad agencies, and application providers.

The clearinghouse is an important component of Neustar's mobile internet solutions strategy, which bridges network operators and enterprises and simplifies their delivery of value to customers. Several of these services have already seen uptake among leading mobile operators.

Neustar's barcode clearinghouse solution provides a method for companies that produce and distribute barcode readers to interoperate with other companies who create barcode campaigns. This cooperation helps establish barcode adoption, which is essential for brands and advertisers to deploy this new mobile marketing medium. A centralized, trusted clearinghouse empowers a scalable, competitive and innovative marketplace, and at the same time ensures that any participating campaign enhances the overall ecosystem and educates consumers. This coordinated approach allows each of the participants to benefit from the efforts of the others, including participation from barcode leaders NeoMedia, 3GVision, Mobile Data Systems, and Mobile Discovery, who are using the Neustar clearinghouse. The clearinghouse is open to other industry players who wish to benefit from the mass market and scale that can be achieved through an open, interoperable approach.

"With our Mobile Barcode Clearinghouse, Neustar can provide both campaign managers and Mobile Network Operators with a rich new approach to accessing mobilized content and services," said Diane Strahan, vice president at Neustar. "Barcodes offer direct response accountability through measurable ROI and enable advertisers to adjust their content based on near real time tracking of each campaign's performance. For consumers, barcodes offer an exciting 'shortcut' to accessing rich content, helpful information and m-commerce."

"Neustar's initiatives and support of interoperability services are a benefit to the mobile industry at large," said Jon Paisner, senior analyst at Yankee Group. 'As we have seen with common short codes and text messaging, ease of use and access across global networks is critical for mass market adoption. Neustar's technology provides marketers and content providers with a way to link physical media directly to mobile content."

Demonstrating its commitment to digital innovation and commerce even further, Neustar is collaborating with Visa at Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona (February 15-18) to showcase the power of 2D barcodes. Using their camera phones, Mobile World Congress attendees will download a barcode reader application from getreader.com using a mobile browser. As part of their Welcome Packets, attendees will receive a faux Visa gift card, and will be invited to scan the 2D barcode on the back each day to enter the "Check Your Balance" contest.

"Establishing standards for the interoperability of barcode technology across global networks is a critical step in making large scale mobile services, like mobile offers, a reality," said Prakash Hariramani, senior business leader at Visa Inc. "As we work to integrate Visa and Neustar technology, this is but one example of the many mobile services we plan to deliver to financial institutions, merchants, consumers and network operators."

Brands and operators interested in exploring the possible applications of 2D Barcodes are invited to participate in Neustar's upcoming commercial pilot program; more details are available at gomocode.com or from barcodes@neustar.biz