Have you noticed ads recently in this newspaper and elsewhere containing large blackand- white blocks? They are an initial promotion for a concept that has the potential to change the whole relationship between traditional media, mobile  media, and the internet.

 

The blocks are QR codes, a way to get written information into mobile phones Mobile Phone Light. The QR stands for quick response, which tells you a bit about how they are intended to be used.

A QR code is a sort of twodimensional barcode. But it can store much more information than a barcode - more than 4000 characters or the equivalent of a page of text.

 

This is more than 10 times more than a standard barcode.

 

But here's the real trick. QR codes can be read by mobile phones. To be more precise, they can be read by cameraequipped mobile phones that have the right scanning software.

 

And if the information in the QR code contains a web address and if you are using a 3G phone, then the QR code can direct the phone to a web address and direct it to perform other functions, such as downloading information.

 

The technology is comparatively simple. So are barcodes.

 

But simple technologies can have a profound effect if they are used in certain ways.

Few outside the retail world appreciate the extent to which it was revolutionised by the now-ubiquitous barcode. As we know from our pleasant experiences at the supermarket checkout, barcodes make possible the quick and easy scanning of packaged goods prices, making the process of selling them much easier.

 

Barcodes have also transformed wholesaling and distribution. Scanning of barcodes has made most steps in the supply chain much simpler and faster.

 

But when barcodes were introduced they were regarded as expensive and cumbersome, and the technology nearly failed because it took years to reach a critical mass. That's the key - critical mass. Many people have to agree to adopt the technology before it can work.

That's why it's important that Telstra is leading the promotion of QR codes in Australia. The larger the organisation promoting the concept, the more likely it is to reach the critical mass at which users want to use it and suppliers want to supply it.

 

QR codes were created more than a decade ago by Japanese company Denso Wave to introduce more detailed parts coding in the car parts industry than that made possible by barcodes.

 

For an illustration of the possibilities of widespread adoption of barcodes, consider the Japanese example.