Just when I thought Semacode had packed up their digital bags and bid farewell, the Ontario company behind the Semacode mobile 2D barcode technology goes and uses Facebook to re-launch the technology.

The new strategy attempts to use social networks to achieve the uptake that is required for the technology to become mainstream and, subsequently, become relevant to the commercial and retail markets that the technology originally attempted to attract.

Your World Today reviewed the technology in September 2007 and its reported use in an H&M campaign (Click here for post). In short, Semacode (the company) gives you the ability to use your phone camera to take pictures of web addresses that automatically open the web page on your mobile phone internet browser to view information or purchase products. The web addresses are in the form of a 2D bar code (also called a Semacode).

While the idea was dynamite, its fatal flaw was that it required users to download the semacode recognition software and install it on their mobile phones before they can use their phone camera as a ‘point-snap-browse’ device. Since the bar codes were not really being used for much of anything other than in a rare advertising campaigns here or there, the mass cell phone user-market had no incentive to download the software. Without the user numbers, commercial use of the technology was not feasible. I didn’t hear much about Semacode for a number of months after that post, as they seemed to have gone back to the drawing board.

With the new strategy, Semacode is hoping to break the chicken-and-egg cycle by focusing their efforts on growing the user market. A fresh online presence at Semacode.com coupled with a Facebook application is targeted at enticing the Facebook user demographic to use the technology as a way for mobile Facebook befriending. It would seem that the company is on to something as they play the social networking chord to create that missing incentive for young people to download the application as they would download a ring tone or a mobile game.

I hope they are successful. I can see a number of ways by which the technology, once it achieves mainstream uptake, can be used commercially. However, I fear that Semacode are riding their new strategy on yet another new market entrant/trend with its own uptake issues to deal with. Semacode’s new strategy is attempting to push the downloading of the software as a way to interact with “Profile Cards” (AKA “Social Cards” or “Zazzle Cards“).

Profile Cards are a new fad for the online social networking community. It premises that people are identified by their social networking profile just as much as any other form of identification. Therefore, you might as well carry your social networking ID with you just as you would a driver’s license or a business card. Your profile card may contain the various online networks that you belong to, your username on those networks, or any other information you wish to include. Semacode’s Facebook application pulls your profile info, turns it into a 2D semacode bar code, and creates a Profile Card that you can print and use to allow other Facebookers to add you to their Facebook on-the-go.

If Profile Cards turn out to be a short-lived fad, then I’m afraid Semacode may find themselves back at square one. Perhaps readers of this blog can contribute additional ideas on how Semacode may go about enticing users to download the recognition software. Any takers?