Document Scanning Blog

As small businesses become more automated, the use of 2D barcodes is becoming a familiar new technology for organizing document scanning.  By holding important preset data within the barcode and attaching a 2D barcode into an organization’s documents, it is easy to capture the necessary information that goes along with a document when it is scanned.  Where this type of technology works best is in medical and financial organizations, where personal information must be kept confidential and duplication of this data is kept to a minimum. 

 

Basically, a 2D barcode is an image that would mean nothing to the viewer, and appears to be an amorphous blob of dots, but within that pattern, up to 7,089 characters can be stored.  When compared to a uni-dimensional barcode, which stores up to 20 characters, this is a vast improvement in barcode technology.

 

When fast access to important data is needed, or new information updated regularly, 2D barcodes are the simplest and smartest way to communicate that data.  These new graphical interfaces are often used along with smart phone cameras to interpret the encoded URL.  Once accessed, a smart phone simply connects to the Internet, where they can view the web site that corresponds with the barcode.  This new technology has proven particularly useful in mobile marketing, where some barcodes are designed to connect users with messages that would otherwise be too long to send. 

 

As this type of technology expands to the mainstream marketplace, expect to see more 2D barcodes attached to products in stores, where they can be scanned with a smart phone to show additional product information.  The news media has already started using these encoded images to link mobile readers with developing coverage on an important story. 

 

In the medical, legal and financial fields, 2D bar-coding is a natural complement to a paperless office, as it allows patient or client information to be encoded in a secure document scanning format and attached to printed forms, medical charts, investment information and contracts.