Technology Meets Tradition: amNewYork Introduces 2D Barcodes
The first U.S. newspaper to offer readers interactive access for editorial content through Microsoft Tags
Manhattan's most distributed newspaper, amNewYork has been successfully including Microsoft Tags in its content since August, drawing readers from throughout New York City and the Tri-state area with the new technology. With these Tags, readers have been viewing photo galleries and videos, as well as accessing additional information related to amNewYork stories. Through a partnership with Mobile Previews LLC, a New York-based mobile technology company, this is the first time that newspaper readers can see movie trailers, read reviews and buy tickets directly from their smart phones.
Tags are simply Microsoft's proprietary version of a 2D barcode or QR Code. They are colored whereas regular 2D barcodes are black and white. Microsoft Tags (which amNewYork prints alongside select articles) are scanned like a regular 2D barcode with Microsoft's TagReader app on a smartphone. The barcode then directs the browser to load the supplementary materials. 2D barcodes serve as a means to connect almost anything in the real world to information, entertainment and interactive experiences on a mobile device.
Most of amNewYork's audience consists of savvy commuters and young trendsetters; the paper is using the Tags to solidify its spot at the forefront of the industry. Through this implementation, amNewYork aims to bridge the gap between the traditional print paper and the growing popularity of the digital realm and the public's need for interaction.
"As a daily newspaper that is written for a young, urban, mobile-savvy demographic, the inclusion of Microsoft Tags provides multi-media interaction, further extending engagement and service to our readers," says Paul Turcotte, publisher of amNewYork. "We see this new technology as a way to transform the newspaper page to an exciting multi-media experience."
Bill McQuain, director of Tag Product Management at Microsoft Corp., agrees: "We're excited that amNewYork is using Tag to engage with readers at a deeper level. Microsoft Tag makes the world around you clickable, and now with the scan of Tag from amNewYork, its readers will get a rich interactive experience."
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