OMA Publishes Mobile Code White Paper

The OMA recently published a comprehensive white paper addressing important components of the mobile code ecosystem, such as different symbologies, usage scenarios, and direct versus indirect encoding,

The white paper aims to stimulate a global market in which barcodes act as enablers for camera-equipped handsets to access content and services. Some technologies already exist; for example, in Japan, 2D barcode scanning is in widespread use.

However there is fragmentation in the worldwide market currently, due to the variety of approaches to the questions of which barcode symbologies should be supported, what format of data they should contain, and how reader software should behave when barcodes are read.

The Open Mobile Alliance aims to halt fragmentation by providing guidelines on existing standards as well as creating specifications to address interoperability needs as they arise. Once enough mobile code readers that follow those guidelines are deployed on consumer handsets, marketing organizations and publishers will be able to include mobile codes as links to online content and services with confidence, in advertising and promotional campaigns, and in printed and displayed media of many kinds.

Last December the Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2) announced it had carried out initiatives which lead to GSM Association (GSMA) and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) activities to accelerate mass mobile marketing using 2D barcodes.

Is NeoMedia Technologies For Sale?

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in camera-initiated barcode transactions for mobile devices, released an 8-K SEC filing last Monday which alluded to the potential sale of the company.

The filing states that during the next 18 months NeoMedia's CEO Iain McCready can earn a commission of up to 2.5% of sales proceeds for selling the company if the sale price is not less than $45M, with a commission cap set at a $200M sale price.

However, that's not to say that Iain can't sell NeoMedia for more than $200M. He can. Especially with a favorable patent review by the USPTO anticipated later this year.

NeoMedia Technologies has a suite of twelve issued patents covering the core concepts behind linking the physical world to the electronic world dating back to 1995. These patents cover various linkage methods including: Barcodes, RFID, Mag Stripe, Voice, and Other machine readable and keyed entry identifiers.

These patents were first licensed by Digital Convergence for $100M in 2000 to facilitate the launch of the :CueCat.

In 2001, NeoMedia Technologies formed a strategic alliance with Symbol, now owned by Motorola, and signed a worldwide agreement which gave Symbol the right to grant licenses to itself and third parties under NeoMedia's intellectual property. Symbol would later offer to buy NeoMedia's valuable patent portfolio in 2002 for $150M. The offer was declined however in favor of further developing the IP and growing the patent portfolio as a core component of NeoMedia's long-term growth and market strategy.

In 2005, Virgin Entertainment and NeoMedia Technologies entered into an extended licensing agreement, which saw Virgin license NeoMedia's patents through 2016.

There were even strong rumors that Microsoft was interested in purchasing NeoMedia back in 2005.

Flash forward to today, mobile barcode reading is an everyday part of the popular culture in Japan and Korea. The technology is just now beginning to emerge in Europe with North America not too far behind. With so many companies entering the mobile code reading space, and looking to carve out their niche, NeoMedia has positioned itself well with it's extensive patent portfolio and barcode technology, and will bring tremendous value to anyone interested in acquiring the company.

Another Step Closer To Mobile Code Standards

Last December the Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2) announced it had carried out initiatives which lead to GSM Association (GSMA) and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) activities to accelerate mass mobile marketing using 2D barcodes.

The Mobile Codes Consortium, the cross-industry group created to promote unified standards in camera cell-phone barcode reading technology, in conjunction with the GSM Association and the Open Mobile Alliance, continues to bring large scale adoption of mobile codes closer to reality.

A work item document entitled "Mobile 2D Bar codes" was created last year by the Mobile Codes Consortium and approved by the OMA Board of Directors.

The approved work item included the following recommendations: (1) Choice of 2D barcode symbologies (2) The data stored in the barcodes and (3) The terminal behaviors in response to reading barcodes, including behaviors with respect to some existing (1D and 2D) barcodes standards. Prime candidates include the industrial standards for barcode symbologies QR and Datamatrix, and the NFC Forum NDEF data structure. The normative specifications to be developed shall ensure backward compatibility with relevant 2D barcode systems, so that mobile devices that are compliant to the specifications to be developed shall be able to recognize and process such existing 2D barcode print-outs or images.

The work item also concluded that, barcode reading software needs to be included in devices supporting mobile codes, and the interface towards back-end servers also needs to be agreed.

The OMA recently published a February 2008 Technical Plenary Summary stating that a 2D barcode white paper has been completed. The summary also noted that work was about to commence on formal standards.

According to Tim Kindberg of HP Laboratories and co-chairman of the MC2, "Barcode reading technology makes it much easier for people with mobile phones to click straight from paper or displays to content and services. You just point the camera and click to connect. This will make the mobile internet much more accessible."

Thomas Curwen of Publicis Dialog and co-chairman of MC2, said: "Mobile barcodes will make advertising much more efficient. Customers clicking straight from, say a poster, to the Internet on their mobile device – will make traditional display advertising as interactive as banner ads. With the added advantage that advertisers can track and measure which ads create the highest click-through rates." Curwen added, "It is unique for an ad agency to be leading technological change on such a scale – and we are doing this because it will help make us more efficient."

The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) delivers open specifications for creating interoperable services that work across countries, operators, fixed and mobile terminals. Driven by users’ needs and the expanding market for data services, the member companies of the Open Mobile Alliance stimulate the adoption of new and enhanced information, communication and entertainment services. The Open Mobile Alliance includes contributors from all key elements of the wireless value chain, and contributes to the timely and efficient introduction of services and applications.

GSMA & OMA To Drive Mobile Code Standards

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in camera-initiated transactions for mobile devices, and Gavitec AG - mobile digit, both co-founders of the Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2), today announced that the MC2 steering group has convinced the GSM Association (GSMA) and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), two of the global mobile phone industry's representative bodies, to drive the global adoption of mobile marketing using 2D barcodes.

MC2, the cross-industry group created to promote unified standards in camera cell-phone barcode reading technology, has brought large-scale adoption of mobile marketing closer to reality. The members of the group, NeoMedia Technologies Inc., Publicis Groupe, Hewlett-Packard, Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Nokia, Qualcomm and Telefonica O2 Europe, have convinced the representatives of the GSMA and OMA that the time has come to cooperate globally and advance the mobile barcodes standards in partnership.

Dr. Frank Müller, Director of Intellectual Property and Strategy at NeoMedia Technologies, said: "The commitment of GSMA and OMA gives important impetus for the worldwide development of mobile marketing based on using 2D barcodes. The barcode reading technology, enabling people with mobile phones to read mobile codes and immediately connect to content and services, makes the mobile Internet much more accessible for consumers and likewise offers advertisers various opportunities for innovative, well-directed and cost-effective marketing approaches with precise response evaluation."

William "Chip" Hoffman, CEO of NeoMedia Technologies, said: "We are creating the mobile equivalent of 'hyper-text' for broadcast and print media. Like SMS, a standard technology used by all carriers world-wide, mobile barcodes allow Brands and Consumers to interact on static media the same way they do on the web; cross-country and cross-carrier. With this wireless technology and the associated systems supporting it, old-media becomes new-media."

This month, the GSMA, the global trade association representing 700 GSM mobile phone operators, and OMA, the leading industry forum for developing market driven, interoperable mobile service enablers, will launch a landmark exercise, which aims to deliver technology and marketing industry standards for mobile codes. Whereas the GSMA is starting to encourage mobile operators to adopt interoperable business models for mobile codes and raise the profile of this technology within the industry, the OMA will work simultaneously to specify the technical standards.

After just nine months of lobbying, plan development and recruitment, the partners of the MC2 have achieved a fundamental milestone and base for further operations. Now that the leading industry bodies are on board and support the standards for mobile barcodes, the MC2 will signal to the marketing industry that it can start planning now about how it will deploy them. Mobile marketing and mobile tagging are now becoming a true reality worldwide and the industry should be prepared for it.

By embracing open standards, full interoperability, and by being barcode symbology agnostic, NeoMedia Technologies provides a global infrastructure to insure that all transactions requested by end users "work" as intended, all parties are compensated correctly, and that the technology achieves mass-adaptation. In doing so, NeoMedia enables a seamless, secure, and utilitarian platform for mobile commerce, advertising, and communication. NeoMedia's mission is to offer new ways to make mobile internet transactions effortless and more accessible while enhancing customer convenience, facilitating a closer customer relationship, saving costs and providing new business opportunities for all participants in the wireless value chain.

GSMA and OMA Commit To MC2 Initiative

Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2) initiative leads to GSM Association (GSMA) and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) activities to accelerate mass mobile marketing using 2D barcodes.

MC2, the cross-industry group created to promote unified standards in camera cell-phone barcode reading technology, has brought large scale adoption of mobile marketing closer to reality.

The group, led by global marketing agency Publicis, Hewlett-Packard, Deutsche Telekom, Gavitec, KPN, NeoMedia, Nokia, Qualcomm and Telefonica O2 Europe, has persuaded fellow members of the GSMA and OMA, two of the global mobile phone industry’s representative bodies, that the time is ripe to work in partnership to set worldwide mobile barcode standards.

This month, the GSMA, the global trade association representing 700 GSM mobile phone operators, and OMA, the leading industry forum for developing market driven, interoperable mobile service enablers, will embark on a landmark exercise, which aims to deliver technology and marketing industry standards for mobile codes. The GSMA is launching a work stream to encourage mobile operators to adopt interoperable business models for mobile codes and raise the profile of this technology within the industry, while the OMA will work simultaneously to specify the technical standards.

Tim Kindberg, of HP Laboratories and co-chairman of the MC2, said: "Barcode reading technology makes it much easier for people with mobile phones to click straight from paper or displays to content and services. You just point the camera and click to connect. This will make the mobile internet much more accessible."

Thomas Curwen, of Publicis Dialog and co-chairman of MC2, said: "Mobile barcodes will make advertising much more efficient. Customers clicking straight from, say a poster, to the Internet on their mobile device – will make traditional display advertising as interactive as banner ads. With the added advantage that advertisers can track and measure which ads create the highest click-through rates." Curwen added, "It is unique for an ad agency to be leading technological change on such a scale – and we are doing this because it will help make us more efficient."

The news follows a nine-month period of lobbying, plan development and recruitment of partners by the MC2 to make standards a reality. Now that the leading industry bodies are driving the standards for mobile barcodes, the MC2 will start alerting the marketing industry that it can start planning now about how it will deploy them. Mobile marketing is now becoming a true reality and the industry needs to be ready.

William "Chip" Hoffman, CEO of NeoMedia Technologies, said: "We are creating the mobile equivalent of the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) for mobile content. A standard technology used industry wide, which, like a Bank-card, allows the consumer-facing mark of instant access to mobile content, the bar code, to be used regardless of a subscriber’s manufacturer or service provider of choice."

The range of potential applications for mobile codes is enormous, and the impact for brands and on consumers is wide-reaching:

* For years, the ad industry has tried to work out which location or which execution of a campaign performed best in delivering leads. Phone numbers and long URLs have been tried but nothing has been very satisfactory. Mobile codes have much more to offer a marketer: the user can point and click it faster, thereby reducing the effort to respond, with dramatic effects on the results. By simply pointing the camera at a mobile code, the user instantly interacts with the marketing message. At the end of the campaign, marketers can measure "click-through rates" (by time of day, progression through to sale, and even time spent), making paper as measurable as the internet. Instantly, we can know which location or execution generated the highest response and sales.

* A possible application for a financial services client selling travel insurance might be a poster in the waiting lounge of an airport showing a matrix of ‘number of passengers’, ‘destination’ and ‘time away’. At the point of departure, the 40% of people who normally leave the UK without travel insurance, could click the corresponding mobile code and get a rough quote online, and even buy, using one of the emerging secure mobile payment systems

* Or imagine a system that can tell you when your bus is coming, without the need to build and maintain the LED screens at every bus stop (reducing cost and energy usage). A simple mobile code at each bus stop could give you the same info and even the weather forecast.

Torulf Jernstrom, of Nokia, said: "The key advantage of mobile barcodes is that it makes discovery of internet services very easy for the consumer hence a powerful tool for marketers and advertisers. A prerequisite for widespread deployment of this concept is an open, interoperable standard which is now developed in collaboration with GSMA and OMA."

Marcel Annaka of KPN said: "Mobile codes will change the way we look at printed media. Printed media will finally become personalized and interactive as Mobile codes enable an extremely user-friendly connection between offline media and the internet on mobile devices."

Thomas Curwen added, "Now that we are making real progress, we will now start work with the marketing industry to ensure that their needs are taken into consideration in the developing standards."

QUALCOMM Joins The Mobile Codes Consortium

Pressure continues to mount for industry standards as wireless industry giant QUALCOMM joins the Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2) – a cross-company group setup to promote unified standards in camera cell-phone barcode reading technology.

QUALCOMM plays a vital role in creating technologies that move the wireless industry forward, and they license these technologies to over 100 manufacturers, including virtually every leading telecom equipment and consumer electronics brand name in the world. Leveraging CDMA expertise, the company has become the leading designer and supplier of CDMA chipsets and system software. QUALCOMM's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless™ (BREW™) provides a common platform for different types of wireless devices and applications, enabling hardware and software developers to create new products much more quickly and cost-effectively.

MC2’s aim is to accelerate the adoption of code-reading technologies that will enable users of mobile camera-phones pointed at a printed or displayed 2D barcode, to activate the phone to connect to a particular web-page, download coupons or other digital mediums, make a phone call or send a text message at the click of a button. Based on the widespread adoption of this technology in Japan and the growing popularity of camera-phones in Asia, Europe, and North America, the Mobile Codes Consortium believes that this will have many important applications for both the marketing and public communications industries.

QUALCOMM joins the original founding members Gavitec, Hewlett-Packard, NeoMedia Technologies, Publicis Groupe, Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica O2, and KPN to form MC2’s steering group, which is responsible for guiding the organization.

Experience qode® At CTIA Wireless 2007

NeoMedia Technologies, a global leader in mobile enterprise and marketing technology, announced today that its flagship qode® platform will be on exhibit in four different locations at CTIA Wireless 2007 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla from March 27 to March 29.

qode® is a revolutionary new mobile solution, providing One Click to Content™ Mobile Web Connectivity from handsets, as well as end-to-end mobile ticketing and mobile couponing solutions. qode® is the only comprehensive mobile solution available to marketers and enterprises today.

People attending CTIA Wireless 2007 can experience the power of the qode® solution at the following locations:

• qode® booth: Booth #5454 (Hall D)

• The qode® Experience: Outside Hall D, our booth #5454 will have a team to direct you.
  

• E-tech Awards exhibit: The E-Tech Awards Display will be located prominently in the Hall C Lobby.
  

• QUALCOMM Booth #1645 (Hall A3)

"This is our broadest exposure at a CTIA event to date," said Chas Fritz, acting CEO and chairman of NeoMedia Technologies.

"Our industry-leading BREW application will be demonstrated in the QUALCOMM booth, our involvement in the E-tech awards competition has positioned us in the special showcase for the E-tech Award participants, and we will be demoing the entire suite in our booth and in the exclusive "qode® experience" mobile demonstration vehicle," Fritz said. "As the only 2D code reading solution vendor actively exhibiting in this leading industry event, the broad coverage will allow more people at the show to experience the qode® solution."

NeoMedia's qode includes qode®reader and qode®window, providing One Click to Content™ connectivity for products, print, packaging and other physical objects to link directly to specific desired content via the mobile internet. qode reader works with camera-enabled phones, letting users "click" on 2-dimensional "smartcodes" for a direct connection to desired multimedia information, advertising, promotions and content, etc., and qode window lets users enter a key word, slogan, barcode number or other unique identifier, for similar connection. The qode® mobile ticketing and couponing solution consists of a back-end system for ticket/coupon generation and validation as well as readers that can be deployed in a stand-alone configuration, integrated into venue turnstiles/entryways, or combined in point-of-sale systems.

Ride The qode® Experience At CTIA 2007

NeoMedia's qode® Available For BREW

NeoMedia Technologies, a global leader in mobile enterprise and marketing technology, announced today that its flagship qode® barcode reader technology is available as a BREW® application for mobile devices. QUALCOMM's flexible BREW® offerings provide industry-leading publishers and developers with the tools necessary to create compelling mobile content services and applications.

Any wireless service provider offering BREW® services can now choose to provide qode® via its wireless data offerings. qode® on BREW® will enable content and media companies to market their services and extend their brand through camera phones.

By extending its qode® application and technology to the BREW® solution, NeoMedia has "broadly expanded its coverage of the market space," said Chas Fritz, acting CEO and chairman of NeoMedia Technologies.

"By offering qode® as a BREW® application, NeoMedia has been able to add over 45 mobile handsets to our portfolio of qode® handsets," Fritz said. "By leveraging QUALCOMM's BREW® solution, we have significantly increased handset coverage for qode® with a solution that has proven to be successful in the global wireless market."

"NeoMedia's qode® has demonstrated that mobile content extends beyond ringtones and wallpapers to include something as innovative as a barcode reader application," said Christophe Bernard, staff manager, developer relations for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "qode® on BREW® represents a positive step for NeoMedia in extending the reach of its qode® service, which will help assist wireless service providers in offering truly differentiated service offerings to wireless end users."

NeoMedia's qode® includes qode®reader and qode®window, providing One Click to Content™ connectivity for products, print, packaging and other physical objects to link directly to specific desired content via the mobile internet. qode®reader works with camera enabled phones, letting users "click" on 2-dimensional "smart codes" for a direct connection to desired multimedia information, advertising, promotions and content, etc., and qode®window lets users enter a key word, slogan, barcode number or other unique identifier, for similar connection.

BREW® solutions change the way people relate to wireless data services. By enabling discovery and delivery of high-value content, BREW® creates opportunities for the wireless industry to enhance consumers' mobile data experience. QUALCOMM's comprehensive and targeted BREW® Signature Solutions offer reduced time-to-market and lower capital investment for companies providing mobile products and services. Customers can also benefit from several modular BREW® offerings, including uiOne™, deliveryOne™ and QPoint™, which provide the foundation for customer-differentiated wireless data capabilities.

QUALCOMM to Showcase qode® at CTIA 2007

QUALCOMM is excited to feature 20 of the best and brightest BREW developers and publishers providing wireless applications in a wide variety of categories at this years CTIA wireless event.

From March 27 - 29, in booth #1645, QUALCOMM will be showcasing NeoMedia's qode® along with the following BREW Signature Solutions and offerings:

* The BREW Gaming Signature Solution is a comprehensive solution which enables wireless operators to deliver a compelling and complete consumer gaming experience while allowing publishers and developers to create the best games possible.

* BREW Locate Signature Solution is a comprehensive, assisted-GPS (A-GPS) solution designed to provide wireless operators with all the key components needed to deliver compelling location-based services to end users.

* uiOne™ is one of the many exciting BREW offerings. It provides an open and flexible combination of technologies and services for wireless service providers, handset manufacturers and publishers/developers to create and deploy customized mobile user interfaces (UI) and content.

NeoMedia's patented qode® suite is an easy-to-use set of applications, including qode®reader and qode®window, which provide One Click to Content™ connectivity for products, print, packaging, and other physical objects to link directly to specific desired content on the Mobile Internet. qode®reader works with camera phones, letting users "click" on two-dimensional "smart codes" to access the Mobile Web site to which the code is linked. qode®window allows users to reach the same destination by entering a keyword, slogan, or product barcode number.

Based on time, day of week, or user preferences (age, gender, location, language), qode® can connect to different mobile web sites from a single smartcode, keyword or barcode number. A page may simply be presented in a different preferred language, or a promotion in one time zone can differ from that in another.

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NeoMedia Joins Global BREW Developer Directory

NeoMedia Technologies, a global leader in mobile enterprise and marketing technology has joined QUALCOMM's global BREW® Developer Directory.

All Authenticated Developers are afforded BREW Developer status in the BREW Alliance Program and BREW Developer membership gives developers access to everything needed to create and sell wireless applications.

To become a commercial BREW Developer you must be authenticated. The process contains four parts, and once authenticated, developers receive all the benefits of the BREW Alliance Program.

To be listed as a BREW Developer by QUALCOMM, NeoMedia had to have their mobile qode® platform complete the rigorous testing process in order for it to become TRUE BREW® compatibility certified.

It is important to note that an application must pass TRUE BREW® compatibility testing before a developer can create a price plan for an Operator that participates in the Standard BREW program. The creation of the price plan allows the Operator to evaluate the application for inclusion on a commercial application catalog. If the Operator chooses to accept the price and include the application on a commercial catalog, the application will be available for download and use on the specified BREW handset.

Now that NeoMedia's mobile qode® platform is TRUE BREW certified, the company can now begin talking with carriers around the world that require BREW applications.

The following helps to quantify how truly huge the BREW opportunity universe is for NeoMedia's qode®.