One Of the facts about barcodes and technology is they are always improving. This article peeks into the future

The Exciting Future of Barcodes 

The technology of barcodes has made huge strides forward and each year brings more and more advancements. We are learning more about them and how they can make our lives easier and save us both time and money. At https://barcodes123.co.za, we are very excited about all the latest developments in this technology and we invite you to become part of the exciting future of barcodes alongside us. 

It is very exhilarating to think about where the future will lead us with regard to the technology of barcodes and innovation. When we look back at the past and see how far we have come, we can only imagine the exciting prospects that wait for us in the future and the different modern formats that will be created. But what exactly is the future of barcodes?  What is next in terms of innovation? How will they be used in the future and will new formats be created to better meet our developing needs? We can only imagine the answer would be yes! 

One modern development in the technology of barcodes is image recognition. This involves a scanner that has image recognition technology that picks up the product and recognises what it is even without actual barcodes. This involves barcodes that are called Digimarc barcodes. The UPC or EAN barcodes are actually embedded in the product itself. In this way, the product itself becomes the barcodes. This will make the checkout procedure at retailers even faster and more effective. GS1 United States and GS1 Germany have adopted this new technology. These also allow for custom product or company information to be linked to the barcodes so that they can be scanned by potential customers in the stores using their smart phones and have access to the product and company information. This is also an option to look into for people who are creating a product and do not want the regular linear images on their product, this format can be worked into the artwork of your product label and not be visible to consumers. They are also being used at self-checkout stations in some retailers that have this option. 

As we go forward into the future,  we are moving away from 1D barcodes towards the more effective 2D. The downside of 1D is that they can only store a very small amount of information – about 85 characters. 2D on the other hand, can hold over 7000 characters. This enables us to store about two paragraphs of information. In this way, you as a business owner will be able to impart a lot more information as well as more complex information such as expiry dates and other product information. And consumers can perhaps scan the barcodes and you can provide them with the nutritional value of  your product or any unique information pertaining to your product.

One of the most popular 2D barcodes is the QR code. These can be scanned by a smart phone that will link the user to a website. This enables businesses  to interact with customers on a whole new and interactive way. These are becoming more and more popular and they will most likely only expand in their use and popularity. They are able t be used on online payment platforms as well. This has proven to be a big success and help with the profit margin of informal traders as before they had these options available to them, they were only able to normally accept cash for sales. But now they can sign up with online payment companies such as SnapScan in South Africa and they will receive a QR Code unique to them which they can display on their tables at markets or around their neck on a lanyard if they perhaps sell on the side of the road. Customers can scan the code and make an immediate payment using their smart phones, if they do not have the app already on their phones, they can still scan the code and it will direct them to fill in their details and get the app within a few minutes. The traders can then go at the end of each day and draw out their proceeds from selected retailers. Great initiative using barcodes!

One of the most innovative developments in this technology is called RFID – Radio Frequency Identification. RFID tags are small electronic devices that involve a chip and an antenna. This chip is able to store up to 2000 bytes of data. This makes them far more effective and efficient that the standard code or even the 2D. They are used for access gain to business complex as well as secure areas in hospitals and such. 

Another advantage of RFID tags is that the device doesn’t' need to be placed directly in front of the scanner for it to be scanned. These tags will be able to be scanned within a few feet from the scanner and up to 20 feet from the scanner for the higher frequency devices. An example of this, is that you will be able to simply put your bag of groceries on the scanner and the scanner will be able to scan all the products and bring them up on the sales system. One of the most common uses of RFID tags is your local toll road – which makes use of RFID tags to gather all your information as well as collecting your payment. This technology has been in place for over fifty years.  One of the reasons why it has not become more known and used is the lack of standards within the industry, as well as the high cost of these tags.