I beleive NeoMedia’s involvement in the Mobile Codes Consortium gives them the competitive edge over Scanbuy.

NeoMedia and it’s wholly owned subsidiary Gavitec are both active members of the Mobile Codes Consortium with technology leader HP, marketing powerhouse and advertising agency Publicis Groupe, cell phone manufacturer Nokia, QUALCOMM, along with wireless carriers O2, Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile), and KPN.

Last December, the Mobile Codes Consortium created initiatives that led to activities within the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and the GSM Association (GSMA) to accelerate mass mobile marketing using mobile codes.

NeoMedia also recently launched the NeoReader, which features NeoMedia’s patented resolution technology combined with Gavitec’s ultra-small footprint and platform independent algorithms. It is able to read and decipher all common non-proprietary 2D codes (Data Matrix, QR, Aztec) as well as URL embedded 2D codes and all 1D UPC/EAN/Code 128 open source codes. The NeoReader supports direct and indirect code linking, which guarantees maximum interoperability with already existing platforms like 2D Data Matrix Semacodes, and Japanese QR links. This allows the user to click on a variety of codes with a single application installed on their mobile device.

It should also be noted that:

Scanbuy’s indirect resolution process, which they use for their proprietary EZcode, is infringing on NeoMedia Technologies’ core patents.

Scanbuy uses the indirect encoding method for their barcode resolution process.

Indirect encoding (patented by NeoMedia) is the process of linking the target information to an index (364528 for example) and putting that unique identifier into a 1D UPC/EAN or 2D barcode. The code reader on the mobile phone reads the barcode and sends the code data over the Internet to a central resolution server that will tell the mobile phone what action is associated with the index, i.e. access a URL, download media, initiate a phone call, ect.

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.

http://neom.com/13.html

NeoMedia brought suit against Scanbuy in 2004. Litigation has been ongoing.

I am assuming you work for NeoMedia.

Perhaps you can define “industry leader” and share with us why you feel NeoMedia has the competitive advantage.

Adam

First off, I never hope for any type of response on the blog, so long as I get them

I think that if you do some research on QR Codes and how people are using them to integrate traditional media with interactive media this may be more useful for you.

How about this, here is a link to a few articles that I have tagged QR Code (I thought I had tagged more, I will work on that)

http://del.icio.us/platter/“qr+codes”

Have a look and let me know your thoughts.

I am afraid Scanbuy’s CEO Jonathan Bulkeley and Mobile Discovery’s CEO David Miller really missed the mark here. This was a simple 2D barcode implementation, and Scanbuy and Mobile Discovery couldn’t even get it right.

Perhaps Case Western Reserve University should have stuck with industry leader NeoMedia Technologies … The company that Case originally trialled with.

http://neom.com/fileadmin/pdf/case_study_NEOM/CaseWesternTrial-CaseStudy.pdf

Lets just hope that Scanbuy and Mobile Discovery haven’t damaged the mobile code ecosystem too badly.

probably not the response you were hoping for here…