Stephen Withers
Thursday, 17 September 2009 06:28
Opinion and Analysis
Page 3 of 4
QR Code is based on an open standard. Microsoft Tags isn't.
And while Microsoft is allowing free personal and commercial use of the technology during a beta period, there's no guarantee that'll continue.
The company implies that it will for personal use, but it strongly hints that at least some aspects of commercial use are likely to attract charges down the track.
Another cause for concern is the statement that "If we decide to charge for some uses of Microsoft Tag, any Tags that are already in use will continue to work for at least two more years."
This implies that the technology is being delivered at least in part as a service, with Microsoft as sole supplier.
What brings Microsoft Tags back into the news - the beta program has been running since January - is that the company has revealed some of the commercial users of the technology.
Ford put Tags in ads for the 2010 Taurus, linking online videos describing various features of the car.
"We're also impressed by how the consumer interacts with the Microsoft Tag technology," said Lew Echlin, car communications manager for Ford. "The download is quick; there's no need to reboot - it's a low-impact app.
Maybe I'm missing something here. Does your mobile phone make you reboot after installing a new app? If so, which one is it?
Is Microsoft misleading advertisers? Please
read on .
