Tag: QR codes

  • When did qr-codes start on mobile phones? (in August 2002)

    When did qr-codes start on mobile phones? (in August 2002)

    qr-codes were developed by Toyota subsidiary denso-wave

    When did qr-codes start on mobile phones: First mobile phone with qr-code reader was the J-SH09 by SHARP for Japanese mobile operator J-Phone

    When did qr-codes for mobile phones start in Japan?

    Here is the answer: the first mobile phone with qr-code reader was the J-SH09 produced by SHARP for Japan’s J-Phone mobile operator (today’s Softbank) and came on sale in August 2002 – seven years ago.

    More details and more than 100 case studies of qr-code applications in our QR-Code report

    Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

  • Top 10 mobile trends for 2009

    Top 10 mobile trends for 2009

    Answering the question “Top 10 mobile trends for 2009: what would you choose?” We answer from our perspective here in Tokyo:

    1. Mobile payments and wallet phones
      see our mobile payment report
    2. GPS and location based services (LBS) such as navigation and mapping
      see our location based services (LBS) report
    3. Mobile search including location related search
    4. QR codes and other 2D bar codes for information input into mobile phones
      see our location based services (LBS) report
    5. Ultra low cost mobile phones for low end not only in emerging markets but also in advanced countries in economic crisis times
    6. Subsidized $1 mini-laptops with flat rate HSDPA (7.2Mbps) data plans
    7. WiMax networks come into commercial service
    8. Embedded B2B applications
    9. Beautiful OLED ultra-high resolution screens (bigger than iPhone displays)
    10. Mobile agent services

    Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

  • Mobile marketing with QR-code

    Mobile marketing with QR-code

    If your business requires interacting with lots of people in Japan, if you are offering services to consumers, or just as a convenience offered on your business cards – think about QR codes:

    Eurotechnology Japan blog: Mobile marketing with QR-code

    Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

  • Mickey mouse and Disneychannel use QR-Codes

    Mickey mouse and Disneychannel use QR-Codes

    Disneychannel places advertisements with huge QR-code on Tokyo’s roofs. People passing by point their mobile phones at Mickey’s QR-code, and the mobile phone takes them to Disneychannel’s mobile site.

    QR codes were developed in the 1990s by Toyota affiliate Denso-Wave to manage car parts – today they are by far the best way to link mobile phones to almost anything. In many applications QR codes are cheaper, easier, more flexible and more secure than RFID and NFC.

    If you need more information about QR-codes and their business applications, download our report here (pdf-file) or

    Mickey mouse and Disneychannel use QR-Codes
    Mickey mouse and Disneychannel use QR-Codes

      Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

    • European Central Bank (ECB) uses QR-codes

      European Central Bank (ECB) uses QR-codes

      QR codes were developed in the 1990s to manage car parts – today they are by far the best way to link mobile phones to almost anything. In many applications QR codes are cheaper, easier, more flexible and more secure than RFID and NFC.

      The European Central Bank (based in Frankfurt) manages the EURO, is one of the world’s most important central banks, and uses QR-codes to link traditional PC-webpages to mobile pages.

      If you need more information about qr-codes and their business applications, download our report here (pdf-file) or

      European Central Bank (ECB) uses QR-codes
      European Central Bank (ECB) uses QR-codes

        Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

      • Customized QR code using in-built redundancy to display color and embedded graphics

        Customized QR code using in-built redundancy to display color and embedded graphics

        QR codes in color and with embedded graphics using in-built redundancy

        by Gerhard Fasol

        QR codes for mobile phones started in Japan in August 2002

        QR codes have been developed around 1994 by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave – about 20 years ago- for car parts management at Toyota’s factories, and the first applications of QR codes for mobile phones came to market back in August 2002 – about 11 years ago here in Japan.

        Thus there have been over 10 years of development and testing of many different types of applications of QR codes here in Japan, ranging from immigration control and visa, to mobile payments, ticketing and of course marketing and advertising. We have collected about 105 applications of QR codes, mainly in Japan in our QR code report.

        Customized QR code: QR code error correction and redundancy can be used to include images and colors

        QR-codes turn out to be the killer-app for camera phones – not MMS.

        QR-codes have become ubiquitous in Japan since their first introduction to mobile phones in Japan in August 2002, and link mobile phones to life in many ways. QR-codes are usually the quickest, most efficient and cheapest way to link mobile phones to information in daily life, and to provide feedback in both directions, and even for user-to-user interactions.

        QR-codes do not have to be in boring black-and-white:

        Decorative QR codes in all colors
        Decorative QR codes in all colors

        Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

      • Barcodes for mobile payment

        Barcodes for mobile payment

        Mobile operators expand into mobile payments and mobile credit

        Mobile phones use qr codes for payments

        Japan’s mobile operators DoCoMo, KDDI/AU and SoftBank are expanding their business into mobile payment and mobile credit, traditionally the realm of banks, credit card companies, financial institutions and cash. With the bubble/post-bubble bad loans problem largely resolved and the mega-mergers completed, Japan’s banks are now ready again to develop new business.

        Customer’s camera phone reads the barcode or QR-code on an utility bill or mailorder invoice, and forwards secure payment instructions to the customer’s bank account.

        What is the expected impact?

        1. Expect positive impact on Mizuho’s earnings
        2. Today such payments are typically made by walking to the nearest convenience store: expect negative impact on convenience stores which handle much of the barcode based bill payments today
        3. Expect additional competitors with alternative methods to compete with Mizuho in the domain of mobile phone based bill payments
        Barcodes for mobile payment
        Barcodes for mobile payment

        More about mobile payments in our “Mobile Payment and Keitai Credit Report”

        More about QR codes in our “QR Code Report”

        Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

      • Mobile marketing with QR-code

        Mobile marketing with QR-code

        QR codes (QR = “quick response”) have a lot more capacity than conventional bar codes:

        Capacity of typical QR code for mobile phone applications compared to traditional linear bar code
        Capacity of typical QR code for mobile phone applications compared to traditional linear bar code

        Marketing i-Pod-nano with QR-code: QR-code takes you directly to the mobile Apple store to buy your i-Pod-nano here and now on the road (read a detailed description of the Apple i-Pod QR-code campaign in our QR-Code report):

        iPod-nano QR code campaign in Tokyo/Shibuya in November 2005
        iPod-nano QR code campaign in Tokyo/Shibuya in November 2005

        NorthWest Airlines QR code campaign in Tokyo Shinjuku station
        NorthWest Airlines QR code campaign in Tokyo Shinjuku station

        More about:
        QR-codes

        Copyright (c) 2013 Eurotechnology Japan KK All Rights Reserved

      • QR codes everywhere

        QR codes are everywhere in Tokyo – they have become probably one of the most important input tools for mobile phones…

        QR codes for mobile phones and smart phones all over Tokyo - here in Shinjuku
        QR codes for mobile phones and smart phones all over Tokyo – here in Shinjuku

        We published our brand-new QR code report today

        Copyright·©1997-2013 ·Eurotechnology Japan KK·All Rights Reserved·

      • QR-codes everywhere…

        QR-codes everywhere…

        QR-codes (QR =Quick Response) seem to be everywhere. Amazon.co.jp has an i-Appli, which reads the ISBN from the barcode on the back of a book and takes you directly to the Amazon.co.jp i-mode site to order the book instead of buying it in the bookshop.

        People in the mobile industry have QR-codes on their business cards:

        QR code on business cards
        QR code on business cards

        Download our report on QR code applications for mobile phones in Japan
        Download our report on QR code applications for mobile phones in Japan

        Copyright·©1997-2013 ·Eurotechnology Japan KK·All Rights Reserved·

      • Amazon.co.jp captures mobile purchases directly inside competing brick-and-mortar stores with barcode i-appli

        Amazon.co.jp captures mobile purchases directly inside competing brick-and-mortar stores with barcode i-appli

        Amazon.co.jp introduced a barcode reader i-Appli (JAVA application for DoCoMo’s i-Mode phones), with which shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores can directly compare the prices with Amazon.co.jp’s mobile webstore prices. If the shopper prefers, he/she can order directly by i-Mode mobile phone from Amazon.co.jp online while still standing in front of the shelves of the brick-and-mortar store.

        With this barcode reading mobile phone application (i-Appli), Amazon.co.jp is directly taking the competition into brick-and-mortar stores, battling on the same ground.

        User interface of Amazon.co.jp’s barcode reading i-Appli – click to scan:

        With Amazon.co.jp's barcode scan application customers shopping in a store can compare prices with Amazon.co.jp's ecommerce prices, and if cheaper, can order from Amazon.co.jp directly
        With Amazon.co.jp’s barcode scan application customers shopping in a store can compare prices with Amazon.co.jp’s ecommerce prices, and if cheaper, can order from Amazon.co.jp directly from the mobile phone

        The customer can directly scan the barcode with his/her Docomo i-Mode phone, and the Amazon.co.jp barcode i-Appli:

        Customer scans the barcode in a store using the Amazon.co.jp bar code application on a DoCoMo i-mode phone
        Customer scans the barcode in a store using the Amazon.co.jp bar code application on a DoCoMo i-mode phone

        On the next screen Amazon.co.jp’s i-Appli shows the same product’s page in the Amazon.co.jp mobile store. The customer can directly order with one click if he/she prefers Amazon.co.jp’s offer instead of the brick-and-mortar store, where he/she is currently shopping. This i-Appli allows Amazon.co.jp to catch customers from within traditional stores.

        After scanning the barcode, the Amazon.co.jp i-appli directly shows the price and order page of the same product on the Amazon.co.jp mobile site
        After scanning the barcode, the Amazon.co.jp i-appli directly shows the price and order page of the same product on the Amazon.co.jp mobile site

        Read our QR-code report for in-depth analysis and lots of applications of QR-codes and bar codes in Japan.