Code Scan Action Team

Description of the Action Team
CTIA’s Code Scan Action Team, an alliance of proactive carriers, is working to create conditions that will encourage market growth and speed Cameraphone barcode scanning products to market in the US. The nature, scale, and maturity of Code Scan initiatives vary widely across the globe, but some kind of activity is underway in most developed and many developing countries. (Cross Carrier cooperation need not eliminate initiatives pursued by individual carriers. Carriers can support other symbologies should they choose, or layer additional value added services in order to drive competitive differentiation.)

The Code Scan Action Team is working together to enable unified communication to external stakeholders (such as consumer goods, media, and retailers) that need to hear of a unified approach (technologically and systemically) prior to committing to their initial capital expenditure, technology selection and marketing resources.
 

Key Deliverables:
Numerous opportunities are contingent upon standards being agreed upon and communicated. The CCSAT has released the following documents to help drive adoption of this technology:

• At the CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2008® event, the Code Scan Action Team released a white paper  outlining the group’s views on: recommended ecosystem & architecture and device support – among other things.
• At the CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009® event, the Code Scan Action Team released a high-level 2D barcode scanning marketing guide  to assist marketers, agencies, brands, and others (collectively referred to as Code Publishers) to take advantage of this powerful marketing tool.

Supported Symbologies, Vendors & Devices:
CCSAT regularly evaluates new technologies and vendors with hopes of driving adoption for camera-phone barcode scanning. Here are the categories actively being addressed:

• Symbologies: Data Matrix and EZcodes are the first symbologies to be supported in the CCSAT ecosystem.
• Campaign Managers: The set of Campaign Managers with access to the CCSAT will steadily expand as the market expands, diversifies, and matures. Click here for a list of participating Campaign Managers.
• Code Readers: Code Publishers should work with the Campaign Manager to determine what readers will be supported for a campaign. Code readers are selected, tested and managed by carriers in order to ensure they work with the specific carrier handset offering. Reader types may vary by carrier.
• Supported Devices: To ensure a good user experience Code Publishers should work with the Campaign Manager to identify which handsets can support a campaign.