Neustar & Visa Check Your Balance Contest

VISA "Check Your Balance" Contest at GSMA Mobile World Congress.

Visa, NeoMedia, and Neustar have joined forces to launch a promotional contest targeted to more than 30,000 attendees at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona during the week of February 15 to the 18.

The contest is targeted to a savvy crowd of telecommunications and mobile marketing professionals to illustrate how easy, simple, and fast barcodes can make financial transactions.

Anyone with a camera phone can scan a barcode on the back of a gift card, for example, that would allow them to check the balance of their card. The contest allows a user to quickly scan a barcode on a faux Visa card that links to a WAP entry form. This contest in itself illustrates the point that a person no longer has to type a long difficult string of characters to get to a web site or a WAP page.

Event attendees receive a mock Visa Gift Card at registration check-in. The card is printed with instructions on how to enter the contest. First, they need to download a free barcode reader application using your mobile browse. Once they have downloaded the barcode reader, they'll just scan the barcode on the back of the card using their mobile phone. To enter the contest, they must enter their mobile phone number and answer the question: "Where will you 'go' with VISA"?. Every 30 minutes a winner of a 50 euro Visa gift card will be selected based on the most creative answer. The winners will be notified by text message and will need to come to the Neustar booth to redeem their prize. Attendees may enter the contest once a day throughout the Mobile World Congress event.

"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."

The campaign creates a compelling interaction with the Visa brand and quick gratification for the consumer, and illustrates how barcodes can make transactions simple and fast for consumers.

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

NeoMedia M-giving For Haiti At Mobile Congress

Mobile World Congress will witness the dawn of a new era of M-giving: innovative mobile barcode application allows delegates to give "simply" using Neustar's mobile barcode ecosystem.

Paris, France, Atlanta, Georgia, St. Petersberg, Florida and Geneva, Switzerland, In what is believed to be the world’s first M-giving campaign powered by 2D barcode technology, delegates at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona will be able to donate money to Haitian relief efforts by simply snapping a barcode with their mobile phones.

The campaign will provide citizens of the earthquake-devastated island with humanitarian relief information through radio such as accessibility to clean drinking water, food, health care and housing.

Haitians who otherwise would have limited access to life-changing information as part of campaign supported Internews relief effort.

Internews is an international not-for-profit media development organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect, and the means to make their voices heard.

UNOCHA, the United Nations Humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, delegated authority to Internews to coordinate all international efforts to support these essential, on-the-ground communications efforts.

How does the campaign work?

MWC delegates will see a special mobile barcode located on posters at the show; displayed in the halls, at stands and on the lapels of all GSMA staff. Delegates simply need to scan the 2D barcode using their smart-phones, and technology provider NeoMedia will donate $1 to Internews to fund the radio program in Creole ""Enfomasyon nou dwe konnen" – News You Can Use".

Touted as "Everybody Wins," the campaign will also award a $500 US prize to a delegate each day based on a question about the future of m-giving. The best answer will be selected at the close of each day, and the winner will be sent a text message about where to pick up their gift card.

"We are thrilled by this opportunity to support the people of Haiti in their struggle for recovery after the recent earthquake. The mobile industry’s engagement in this campaign brings attention to this striking reality: Information saves lives and even a small donation can make a huge difference", said Mark Harvey, spokesperson and Development director for Paris, France based Internews in Europe.

"We never know where a catastrophic event will occur," said NeoMedia's CEO Iain McCready. "Our team is so pleased to make it possible to raise thousands of dollars to produce hours of quality radio programming, immediately improving the quality of life of the Haitian victims and helping them in the reconstruction process. It’s inspiring to see the world coming together in new ways to help fellow human beings particularly during times of crisis."

Unity Mobile, based in Florida, created the mobile campaign using NeoMedia’s mobile barcode scanning application, NeoReader and NeoSphere campaign manager (which is supported by Neustar’s global clearinghouse). "It is so encouraging to see people giving with 2D campaigns,” said the woman behind this concept for NeoMedia and Internews, Simone Schidlkofer, founder of Cause2Connect, a Geneva, Switzerland based strategy firm that brings together for-profit and non-profit organizations in the mobile technology world. “We’ve made it even easier to give – with a simple scan by a camera phone."

Within the first ten days following the earthquake in Haiti, Americans used their mobile phones to pledge over $30 million for Haitian relief efforts via text message, according to figures released by the Mobile Giving Foundation. According to the PEW Foundation, 14% of all donations to Haiti relief efforts were made by text message.

In the case of the Internews campaign, corporate sponsor NeoMedia is making the donation based on the number of successful scans.

"In the future, we will be developing applications where people can donate individually," Schmidlkofer said. "Our goal is to make it increasingly easy for people to respond to a crisis, with a simple see – scan – donate process, as millions of small donations can add up to significant funding from around the world quickly, simply and efficiently. In the very near future, a person anywhere in the world will be able to scan a 2D barcode and donate to help a fellow human anywhere in the world. It’s a new way to rally support using our mobile phones and networks from wherever we live."

NeoMedia & Neustar Expand Patent Licensing

NeoMedia and Neustar announced last month that they have expanded their agreement to license NeoMedia’s patented technologies beyond the US into Mexico.

On October 6, 2009, the companies announced that they were working together to provide a “one stop shop” for consumer brands to simply and affordably use the barcode ecosystem to deliver new applications, services and compelling content to mobile consumers.

The addition of Neustar’s central registry and clearinghouse services to NeoMedia’s patented barcode ecosystem technology means that brands can now implement interoperable barcode campaigns for consumers who use any barcode scanner participating in this ecosystem regardless of the mobile service provider. The Neustar/NeoMedia collaboration enables brands to offer more targeted and dynamic communication options to mobile consumers, beyond simply taking them to the company’s website or to special micro-sites developed for specific campaigns.

"With the rapid growth of mobile Internet use in Mexico, and innovation among operators and mobile marketing agencies and the brands they serve, we are excited to bring this reliable solution to this important region," said Diane Strahan, Vice President of Mobile Services at Neustar.

Mexico remains one of the most attractive communications markets in Latin America, according to Pyramid Research. By year-end 2008, it was the second-largest market in the region at $27.1 billion, noted Cesar Jimenez, Senior Analyst at Pyramid Research. "Over the next five years, Pyramid Research expects Mexico's total market revenue to reach $29.9 billion, with mobile services revenue to account for 61 percent of the total market."

"We’ve enjoyed working with the team at Neustar to develop a reliable and scalable barcode ecosystem with all players in the market,” said Iain McCready, CEO, NeoMedia. “Mexico is an exciting market, and we look forward to enabling the mobile operators to create new revenue streams, and enabling mobile marketing firms and their brand clients to attract and serve customers using their camera equipped mobile devices for comparison shopping, to download coupons and special deals, and to take advantage of digital ticketing and other creative applications."

NeoMedia Extends Iain McCready's Contract

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions, filed a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month, disclosing that it has extended the employment agreement with its Chief Executive Officer, Iain A. McCready for two years. The amended agreement will expire on May 29, 2012.

Iain McCready, who joined the company as its Chief Executive Officer in spring of 2008, has over two decades experience successfully building both software applications and telecommunications technology companies, will continue to lead NeoMedia as the market for mobile barcode solutions continues to evolve.

"I am proud of what we have accomplished in possibly the most challenging global economic climate in our time, and am committed to supporting our talented team, to seeing our many initiatives through, and to communicating with our shareholders and the general market our progress in this new year and beyond."

Prior to joining NeoMedia, Iain McCready was the CEO of Mobiqa, where he led the business from a start-up to the world leader in mobile ticketing and couponing solutions based on the creation, optimization, delivery and redemption of barcodes to mobile phones.

NeoReader Now Available on Android Platform

2010: The Year 2D Barcodes Breakthrough - NeoReader now available on Android platform.

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions, is making its barcode scanning application - NeoReader® - available on all camera-equipped Android smartphones. The NeoReader will transform any Android handset into a barcode scanner providing instant access to mobile content by clicking on 2D barcodes.

By the end of last year (2009) there were approximately 18 separate models of Android handsets available worldwide, and by 2012 Gartner anticipates that Android will become the world's second most popular smartphone platform, second only to Symbian (Nokia OS) enabled handsets. At last count there were in excess of 20,000 apps available for the Android showing that it is steadily giving Apple's App Store a run for its money.

Iain McCready, CEO of NeoMedia, commented: "Bringing the NeoReader to the high growth Android platform brings us ever closer to mass market adoption of 2D barcodes. Android's commitment to the OHA (Open Handset Alliance) matches NeoMedia's own objective of achieving open standards in order to drive rapid market growth and consumer adoption. With the ubiquity of the mobile web and the plethora of emergent mobile technology applications, there has never been a better time to get involved in this exciting marketplace."

The NeoReader is a universal barcode scanning application and has set the standard for other apps like Microsoft Tag, RedLaser & ShopSavvy to follow. The NeoReader reads all standard 1D and 2D barcode symbologies – QR, Data Matrix, Aztec, UPC and EAN – so users won’t need multiple barcode readers installed on their phone.

Enter get.neoreader.com into your mobile browser and the Android version will automatically download to compatible handsets. Coming soon to the Android Market.

Neustar Becomes NeoMedia's Licensing Agent

Neustar recently announced a landmark agreement with NeoMedia Technologies to have Neustar act as the exclusive patent licensing agent in the US for NeoMedia’s intellectual property for two-dimensional (2D) barcodes. The agreement creates a “one stop shop” for consumer brands to simply and affordably use barcodes to deliver exciting new applications, services and compelling content to mobile consumers.

The addition of Neustar’s central registry services to NeoMedia’s patented barcode technology also means that brands now will be able to offer barcode marketing to consumers regardless of which mobile service provider or barcode reading software a consumer’s mobile device uses. The Neustar/NeoMedia collaboration enables brands to offer more targeted and dynamic communication options to mobile consumers, beyond simply taking them to a general website.

"Neustar is committed to establishing an open, consistent, and easy opportunity for brands to deploy 2D barcodes that reach the widest audience possible,” said Diane Strahan, Vice President of Mobile Services at Neustar. “This licensing agreement, combined with Neustar’s interoperable 2D barcode pilot launched in March, provides the advertising and mobile operator community confidence for a more rapid commercialization of mobile barcodes."

"Customers and the advertising community can now easily secure a clear and predictable path to licensing and implementing NeoMedia’s patented barcode technology,” said Iain McCready, CEO of NeoMedia. “Advertisers have been waiting for a reliable and scalable barcode system, and with this agreement, mobile barcode technology can now fulfill its promise of turning mobile devices into ‘point-of-sale’ catalysts for mobile commerce."

Mobile Tag Licenses NeoMedia's Patents

NeoMedia Technologies and Mobile Tag, leaders in mobile barcode technology, announced a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement for machine readable mobile codes under NeoMedia’s patent portfolio. This is the first contract to be announced under NeoMedia’s recently launched licensing program.

NeoMedia’s objective is to create an open and interoperable 2D barcoding ecosystem which will create lucrative and compelling opportunities for all participants, including brands, advertising agencies and mobile operators. By licensing its technology, NeoMedia aims to foster innovation and competition to create exciting new applications and services that will appeal to consumers. This activity will unlock the potential of mobile barcoding to become an integral part of consumers’ daily lives.

This licensing deal enables Mobile Tag to engage consumer brands, advertising agencies, mobile operators and the OEMs that supply them with NeoMedia’s officially licensed U.S. patents. As a charter licensee, Mobile Tag, Inc. recognizes NeoMedia’s contributions to the industry and efforts to establish real world interoperability in the mobile barcode market. Both companies participated in the NeuStar sponsored interoperability pilot program at CTIA in March 2009, and this commercial licensing agreement shifts the marketplace from trial to practical reality.

NeoMedia and Mobile Tag, Inc. are committed to establishing an open operating environment. Licensing arrangements like this are the foundation needed to unify the marketplace and create the scale needed for consumer brands to invest in mobile barcoding as a key advertising channel. Mobile Tag, Inc. is the first company licensed to operate under NeoMedia’s Intellectual Property for indirect mobile barcoding solutions.

“This deal is a critical milestone for the industry and we’re grateful that Mobile Tag, Inc. stepped forward to work with us. It affirms that the market has realized the importance of creating a legitimate, licensed and open environment for all and I believe it marks the tipping point for rapid commercialization of mobile barcodes in the U.S.,” commented Iain McCready, CEO of NeoMedia.

“Mobile Tag, Inc. recognizes the innovation and capability enabled by the art captured in NeoMedia’s IP,” stated William J. Hoffman, CEO of Mobile Tag, Inc. “We are pleased to license with NeoMedia and believe it will spur innovation and adaptation of this technology on par with the explosion witnessed by SMS services earlier in this decade. Mobile machine readable codes will be mainstream in the U.S. just as they are in Japan, France and Poland where they are found on nearly 210 million phones. It is time to get on with it!”

“Mobile Tag focuses on delivery of carrier-grade client software and transaction infrastructure,” continued Hoffman, “while insuring brands, businesses and consumers who use that technology are pleased with the experience.”

NeoMedia Announces Licensing Program

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions, has finalized its patent licensing program and begun negotiations with interested vendors.

In response to the successful reexamination by the USPTO of NeoMedia’s "Barcode Lookup Patent", NeoMedia has moved assertively to re-energize the U.S. mobile barcode marketplace by helping lead a pivotal interoperability pilot and initiating a licensing program both designed to unify the marketplace.

"Now that the patent situation has been clarified, we are looking forward to quickly establishing a viable system that provides the critical elements needed to attract advertisers: reliability and scale. Our recent partnership with NeuStar demonstrates that an interoperable infrastructure is deployable now and provides advertisers with a trusted solution that delivers the largest audience in the U.S. mobile barcode marketplace. It was a great success and a real rallying point for the industry," stated Iain McCready, CEO of NeoMedia.

In keeping with its vision and commitment to developing an interoperable global ecosystem, NeoMedia is licensing its technology to foster innovation and competition in the creation of exciting new mobile barcode applications and services for the advertising industry. NeoMedia’s licensing program is available to all participants who are interested in becoming part of a collaborative ecosystem aligned and committed to growing the mobile barcode marketplace.

"Between the PTO ruling and the NeuStar pilot, the interest in our technology and services is spiking on both the vendor and advertiser fronts. We’ve had some key brand deployments in Europe leveraging NeoSphere, our new code management platform and we’ve had strong initial interest in our licensing program as well," said Dean Wood, VP of Business Development for NeoMedia.

NeoMedia has recently requested the stay be lifted in their pending infringement case against Scanbuy. At a pre-trial hearing on April 17^th, NeoMedia pushed for the case to move forward on an expedited basis.

NeoMedia currently has 30 active patents spanning 13 countries, with 29 additional patents pending. These patents cover various linkage methods including: Barcodes, RFID, Mag Stripe, Voice, and other machine readable and keyed entry identifiers.

NeuStar Announces Barcode Interoperability

NeuStar today unveiled the first successful demonstration and implementation of technology that enables cell phones to scan and process two-dimensional barcodes - regardless of the mobile service provider, type of bar code symbology, or scanning technology used.

NeuStar's pilot program is based on open standards and demonstrates interoperability among the world's most successful barcode campaign managers, symbologies, and code reader technologies through NeuStar's trusted third party central clearinghouse and registry services. Announced at CTIA, the program currently involves industry-leading companies 3GVision, Mobile Discovery, Mobile Tag, and NeoMedia.

"Each of our current partners brings unique values and capabilities to the market," according to Diane Strahan, vice president of Mobile Services at NeuStar. "Consumers can simply click, send, and enjoy immediate access to cool content. This program is a critical step toward linking various barcode readers and players in the marketplace, and toward creating a seamless, open, and scalable solution for brands, consumers, and mobile operators."

Unlike the linear (striped) EAN/UPC barcodes typically used for inventory and point-of-sale transactions, the more advanced two-dimensional (2D) codes provide mobile consumers with a "shortcut" to access rich content and helpful information, as well as to engage in m-commerce. For mobile consumers, barcodes offer the ability to rapidly discover, interact, and transact with brands without typing out a web address or searching for a website.

NeuStar anticipates that two-dimensional bar codes will be of particular relevance to advertisers and brands, which can immediately leverage their traditional packaging and print - as well as interactive media buys - to reach consumers on the move. More than simply providing mobile consumers with a link to an Internet address, indirect 2D barcode systems can use location, language, or other information shared by the consumer, allowing advertisers to deliver dynamic, individually tailored content. Barcodes offer direct response accountability through measurable ROI, and enable advertisers to adjust their content based on real-time tracking of each campaign's performance.

"Whether the call to action is a short code or a barcode, NeuStar is enabling consumers to opt in to and connect directly with their desired mobile content and interactive experiences," continued Strahan. "The current industry partners in this program are highly successful players in mobile marketing and bar code scanning solutions, as well as intellectual property leaders. These partners have the widest deployment of barcode solutions and penetration in Japan, France, Australia, and other countries. The strength of the open interoperable service we are demonstrating is that it provides the underlying infrastructure needed for brands to confidently deliver a consistent, high-quality customer experience across mobile operators for maximum reach and return."

Neustar, NeoMedia & Mobile Discovery Video

Diane Strahan of Neustar, Robert Danish of NeoMedia & David Miller of Mobile Discovery discuss the 2D barcode ecosystem and what role each of their companies play in making this technology standard practice.

In September, NeoMedia and Mobile Discovery announced that they had formed a strategic alliance to fast-track 2D code proliferation.

An interview with NeoMedia's CEO Iain McCready and Mobile Discovery's President and CEO David Miller was conducted by Bena Roberts and can be found on GoMo News.