Microsoft Tag

A Microsoft tag is more colorful than a QR code. You can also create custom tags that can put a brand in the tag. Tags can be scanned from a phone, and are actually made to be read better than a QR code and do not have to be as big or have as clear of picture to be readable. In this way Microsoft tags are able to do more things than QR codes. Benefits of using Microsoft tags are that the information and content can be updated without creating a new one. They are also easy to generate and are customizable making them more visually appealing with color and custom designs. To generate a code you can search how to generate a Microsoft tag, and it will bring you to a website that will allow you to generate a standard one. If you want to create a customized tag it would be submitted to designers of the site who could place the colors and designs that you would want. It is similar to a QR code where you could enter the website you want it to be linked to and after it is scanned it would direct you to it. Along with linking it to a URL there are three other types of tags: free text, vcard, and dialer. Free text types will only display text on the phone. Vcard types puts contact information on your phone so that you can add it to your address book. Dialer type sends a specific phone number like sales information or a hotline. So, to track the scans on the Microsoft tags it sends the data to Microsoft servers and keeps track of how many scans there are. You can log on to an account you create when the Microsoft tag is generated and that is how you can keep track of it.

  This is an example of a customized Microsoft Tag. 

Sources:

http://www.webivitydesigns.com/tools/microsoft-tag-generator.aspx

http://www.smartergeek.info/2010/02/want-to-need-know-about-the-microsoft-tag-the-hyperlink-for-the-real-world/

Image Source:

http://www.pamelahazelton.com/ecommerce/microsoft-tag-mobile-marketing/