QR codes adds interactive possibilities

Remata has the ability to place QR codes on web and mobile platforms as well as printed documents to help businesses interact with partners, customers and potential clients.

"QR codes are one of the new digital technologies having a practical impact on South African businesses and helping them to become more efficient and improve profits and margins," says Annemarie Burger, director at Remata. "The application of QR codes is only beginning to be explored and has until now been mostly limited to adverts in magazines but that is a very narrow view of what the technology can achieve."

One of the initial benefits is that items such as business cards need never be out of date. The information accessed by the QR code, in this case a businessperson's details, are updated on the server and when the QR code is activated, it automatically updates the recipient's address book.

Sharing information

People can also share far more information via the QR codes than may be feasible to squeeze onto a business card.

The once simple business card can become the gateway into a business or to a person because it can be dynamically linked to a variety of digital media and mobisites. Examples include corporate videos, websites, product pages, weekly specials that are automatically updated - any digital information that companies share.

The company can also help clients gain the ability to create their own virtual business card in an online system environment. On each new entry, a unique QR code linking to a virtual business card is created for each individual, displaying his or her unique profile and information.

"People's imaginations literally are the limit in terms of the content that can be shared or interactive processes that can be created to create dialogues with customers," concludes Burger.