Microsoft said yesterday in a blog post that its bar code system -Tag – is now available for general use.
The post said that in its 18 months beta period more than a billion Tag codes have been printed, and 20 million magazines have carried the Micosoft Tag.
What they didn’t say is how many phone users have so far downloaded the reader onto their phones, which is obviously a critical aspect of the success or otherwise of the service. It might be that Microsoft may not be the obvious touch point for persuading mobile customers to download the reader, but in terms of its brand reach, it clearly has decent muscle in terms of putting a campaign together.
Although the Tag site says Tag can be used all over the world, users can receive an SMS with a link in it if they are in The Netherlands, Italy, Turkey and the UK, as well as Canada and the US. The inclusion of Turkey is relevant, because Windows Live! has very high penetration in that market, giving Microsoft a broad channel to market.
So, the launch is evidence of another big player putting its weight behind mobile barcodes – and what those in the sector need is visibility and results, which Tag may help to deliver.