QR codes have come a long way since they were created by Japan based Denso Wave – a subsidiary of Toyota – and they have established themselves as the primary tool for mobile marketing. Denso Wave first used the codes to keep track of inventory for Toyota and the codes have spread throughout Japan ever since. They are now used throughout the nation as a medium for just about anything. The codes have also been gaining a foothold in western society, finding their way to the sides of buildings, buses and business cards. The creators of the QR code are proving to have yet another trick up their sleeve as they unveil the next step in the evolution of the code: iQR.
The new 2d barcode was developed as a response to growing demand for a code that had a higher capacity for data. iQR has more than an 80% increase in data capacity and can be made up to 30% smaller than conventional QR codes. The new codes can also be manipulated into rectangular patterns allowing for better accommodations to narrow spaces or cylindrical products.
Denso has plans to unleash the new codes upon the public just as they had done with the older QR codes. For now, iQR is reserved for the auto and aviation industries and require special industrial Denso readers to decipher.
There is some doubt that iQR will see the marketing success of its predecessor. QR codes are only beginning to reach their full potential in the U.S. and they are used extensively in Japan. Reinvesting efforts to incorporate a new code and new reading applications may be more trouble than it’s worth. Yet Denso continues to develop the technology it brought to the world, showing a devotion to innovation and a drive to provide a better, more responsive future.
