CyberMedia launches sensor-based print ads

An application on Internet-enabled device with camera will be needed

PTI | March 7, 2011



Publishing house Cybermedia India today announced commercial launch of sensor-based print advertisements in India which will use new Quick Response (QR) code technology to connect print advertisement with a web link. Any viewer of print advertisement will have to point camera of his GPRS or web enabled device towards a two dimensional QR code printed along with ad. On sensing the QR code, the viewer will be directed to web link (hyperlink) to display content as desired by the advertiser. "QR code will make print interactive. CyberMedia had been tracking development of QR codes since long. We decided to commercially launch QR codes when telecom operators start rolling out 3G services so that experience of connecting to web is smooth," said Prasanto K Roy, President and chief editor, ICT division, CyberMedia. Roy claimed Cybermedia to be the first publishing house in India to commercially launch QR code based advertisement. For sensing and decoding QR code, a viewer will have to download an application on Internet-enabled device with camera, which can be a mobile phone, an iPad or a netbook. After downloading this application, the viewer will have to fit image of QR code within the camera range. Once the application senses QR code, the viewer will be automatically directed to web link which may contain video, more details about the product, a discount voucher or any other message that an advertiser wants to convey to him. The distance between camera and QR code to sense the embedded message depends on the camera quality and size of QR code. CyberMedia has start putting QR codes in its PC Quest magazine from this month onward and will expand it rest of its publication by year end. At present, CyberMedia is not charging for putting QR codes in the advertisement. "If QR codes are developed by the advertisers , we will not charge anything. If they want to use our resources like designing , developing or hosting their advertisement material on our servers, then we they will have to pay," Roy said. Roy mentioned that CyberMedia will initiate talks with other companies in the print industry to promote use of QR codes and develop eco-system for it. QR codes are being seen as replacement of Bar codes as they can store up to 7089 characters compared to limit of 20 characters in bar codes. Also there are limited number of Bar codes available while an application can generate infinite number of QR codes, Roy said.

Comments

 

Other News

BJP set to capture West Bengal

The political map of the country is set to be redrawn with the BJP set to win the West Bengal assembly elections, apart from Assam and the union territory of Puducherry. In Kerala, meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF is set to regain power. The filmstar Vijay-led TVK has emerged as the front-runner in Tamil Na

Beyond LPG: Is PNG ready for India’s next cooking fuel transition?

India, the second-largest importer and consumer of LPG after China, faces growing pressure due to supply constraints. Most of India`s LPG imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a focal point of global turmoil. Given that LPG forms the backbone of household kitchens and the restaurant industry, any s

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state.   According to senior officials, the Self-

What the nine Indian Nobel winners have in common

A Touch Of Genius: The Wisdom of India’s Nobel Laureates Edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph Books, Rs 1499, 848 pages  

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter