Wasp Barcode Technologies: The Barcode Solution People

Are Barcodes Changing their Stripes? 2D or not 2D – That is the Question!


Have you heard about the new 2D barcodes that can store way more data than the traditional lined barcodes we use everywhere? This new 2D technology can deliver as much content as an entire web page when scanned! While this technology may be new, Nike and Sears are already using it for ad campaigns this summer and PricewaterhouseCoopers is testing ways to use these matrix-like barcodes in everything from newspapers to TV ads. Have you seen any 2D barcodes yet? If you traveled to Japan recently you surely would have, as they are a big hit in this tech-hungry country. Their 2D barcode of choice is the QR code or Quick Response code. Will Americans be as quick to embrace this new barcode? Get ready! Thanks to a new compliance standard called Sunrise 2010, new 2D barcodes (GS1 Databar) will be mandatory in retail point of sale applications.  The new mandate will help track mostly meats and produce from the slaughter houses and farms, through the distribution process, all the way to the store, all to better protect consumers from harmful and deadly diseases.