BCODE

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A bCODE is an identifier that can be sent to a mobile phone/device and used as a ticket/voucher/identification or other type of token. The bCODE is an SMS message that can be read electronically from the screen of a mobile device. All mobile phones support SMS messaging, so there is no need to know which phone model the consumer has. Also, this means that bCODE is supported by over 99% of devices.

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[edit] History

bCODE was developed by an Australian company (bCODE) from 2003-2005. The reliability of the technology and its widespread compatibility with old and new mobile handsets has placed it at the forefront of the upcoming mobile revolution.

[edit] Uses

A number of companies have identified a place in the market for delivering some form of identifying token to mobile phones. These tokens could be used in a number of ways as follows:

  • Event Ticketing
  • Coupons/Vouchers
  • Airline Checkin
  • Mass Transit
  • Loyalty Cards
  • Payments
  • Security Passes

With the huge number of mobile phones/devices in the market today, mobile distribution is an excellent way of reaching a very large number of consumers.

[edit] bCODE Technology

A bCODE is a simple SMS text message that looks something like this:

bCODE
=TYHGV=WPLKN=
=XCNET=9Y32<=
=5YUFK=4UWKX=


This text message is read from the screen of a mobile phone/device and decoded into a unique token ID. This ID can then be used to supply the consumer with their own unique experience.

[edit] Other Technologies

There are many types of identifying tokens in use today such as barcode and RFID. These are often printed on or embedded in products so that they can easily be identified by computer systems. Typical uses include security passes, stock management, parcel tracking and asset management. Mobile forms of both barcodes and RFID have been implemented and are discussed in Mobile_ticketing.

[edit] Mobile Barcodes

Mobile Barcodes are barcodes that are sent to a phone/device using picture messaging. They can be 1-dimensional (a set of parallel lines) or 2-dimensional (a graphic image). Mobile Barcodes have a number of limitations:

  • Poor scan rates - it is difficult to accurately read the barcode from the phone screen.
  • Barriers to adoption - In order to render the image of the barcode correctly, the image must be sent at the right resolution which requires knowledge of the user's phone model. This is more difficult to obtain than simply a phone number.
  • Device support - Not all phones support picture messaging.

[edit] NFC

NFC is a standard being developed to allow mobile phones to be identified wirelessly by a scanning device. NFC uses an RFID chip that is fitted to the mobile phone during manufacture. NFC has a number of limitations:

  • Device dependence - The NFC enabled device is itself the token, so the tokens cannot be traded or forwarded to other consumers.
  • Device support - Very few devices support NFC. - citation needed