Here is an interesting insight into a commercial marketing technology that has been huge in Japan for the last decade, finally making moves into the UK – yet, being applied in a completely different manner. 

QR Codes are one of the fastest emerging technologies and have become considered the most flexible forms of marketing and communication to hit the mainstream in recent years.

For those of you unfamiliar with QR Codes, they have been around for a number of years, becoming commonplace in everyday life in the Far-East and Japan, where you’d find them on everything from ID badges to food packaging.

In the UK and Europe they are rapidly being adopted and used in a huge amount of different ways at an exponential rate.

With the huge shift in mobile phone technology, smartphones such as iPhones and Blackberrys have given the user the ability to do so much more than just make a call. Using one of the many free apps, anyone can scan a QR Code to what’s behind those arrangement of black squares.

One of the most powerful applications of QR Codes has been within the emergency services sector, where the QrTY Emergency Card gives Medical crews instant access to a patients vital details such as blood type and medication, as well as identification and contact numbers.

The digital card – called QrTY Emergency – is the brainchild of Greg Hughes, director of UK-based internet firm Netronix.

Greg came up with the idea after his brother was badly injured in a hit-and-run accident.

“Paramedics were quick on the scene, but my brother had no identification with him and doctors at the hospital did not know who he was or anything about his medical background,”

said Greg.

This lack of knowledge led to him being given conflicting medication that almost proved fatal.”

Emergency crews can gain vital information from the cards within seconds by using a QR – Quick Response – code scanner on their smartphones.

The cards have been endorsed by the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. Corporate fundraising manager Stef Langford-Brown said:

“We are delighted to be involved with the QrTY Emergency card at such an early stage.

Nearly half of the incidents we attend are road traffic accidents, and having patient information at the scene can help our paramedics do their job even better.

The card will undoubtedly help us to save lives, by saving time.”

Backing has also come from Bob Brotchie, director and founder of the ICE (In Case of Emergency) initiative, which encourages people to add an ICE contact to the address book in their mobile phones.

Bob said:

“With the new surge in smartphones and technologies, the guys at QrTY really have taken a great idea and used it practically and in a way that could actually save lives.”

The QrTY Emergency card is the same size as a credit card and fits easily into a wallet or purse.

Data is stored securely on Netronix’s servers and can be updated at any time without the need for replacement cards. In the event of loss or theft, the card can be deactivated instantly.

FURTHER INFORMATION

• For further information please visit QrTY.net

Tags: blackberry apps, Communication devices, effective marketing tools, Greg Hughes Netronix, iPhone apps, marketing and communication technology, mobile phone technology, Netronix, QR Codes, QrTY Codes, QrTY Emergency card, QrTY.net