New Imaging Scanners from Motorola for 2D and Mobile Bar Code Scanning

Motorola Solutions introduces 2 new imaging scanners with 1D and 2D scanning capabilities and the ability to read bar codes from mobile phones.

We reported over the summer that sales of imaging scanners were on the rise, surpassing the sales of traditional bar code scanners.  This phenomenon is due to the fact that retailers and other businesses need the ability to read several types of bar codes, including both 1D and 2D bar codes.  They also want scanners that have the ability to scan bar codes off of smartphones and other mobile devices.

In a recent interview with John Britts, Senior Director for the Advanced Data Capture Division of Motorola, we learned that over the past 2 years, a majority of their retail customers say they need tools to read 2D bar codes as well as bar codes from a mobile phone.  Smartphone users and app developers are driving the growth of mobile applications such as mobile couponing and mobile loyalty programs that often require a bar code to be scanned from a consumer’s phone at the point of sale.  Even small shops and single store owners want to leverage the new mobile technology in order to improve service, attract customers, and encourage customer loyalty.

Motorola recently introduced two new imaging scanners, the compact DS457 fixed mount imager, and the sleek MK3000 micro kiosk, that provide solutions for these needs.

The Motorola DS457 (pictured above) is a compact fixed mount imager, made in four different models.  Its high-volume scanning abilities allow several kinds of bar codes to be read (1D, 2D, traditional, mobile, high-density, and direct part marks).  The Motorola DS457 is especially helpful at the retail point of sale for reading driver’s licenses, for age verification or for auto-populating a credit or loyalty card application.  The compact size of the Motorola DS457, which can be mounted off of the counter, makes it an ideal choice for a “zero footprint” POS environment.  As Britts puts it, “You don’t have to see technology to have it help you at the POS. It can work really well without being the center of attention.”  He explains how this can be of practical help by freeing up space, and also hold aesthetic benefits for businesses that are conscious of their image and brand, who want to go for a sleeker or friendlier look.

The Motorola MK3000 is a sleek micro kiosk that could be used by retail stores, hotels, or airports, or could act as an employee facing application for workforce management. In a retail environment, the Motorola MK3000 offers customers an interactive and attractive self-service tool, where they can look up and locate items, pick up orders that they placed online, locate out-of-stock merchandise in other stores or online, or even connect with a live store associate through a voice message request.  Retailers The Motorola MK3000 can also be used for marketing promotions or a digital signage solution.  All of these functions can serve to improve the customer experience and boost revenue. 

Furthermore, the ability of the Motorola MK3000 to read mobile bar codes can help at the retail POS.  Scanning mobile bar codes, which is necessary for redeeming mobile coupons or scanning mobile loyalty cards, introduces a few complications for retailers.  Traditional bar code scanners are not able to read bar codes off of a cell phone screen.  Also, a cell phone is somewhat of a personal item, that customers may not exactly be eager to hand over to a sales associate. And the sales associate is probably not eager to take chances on handling such an expensive item and risking dropping or damaging it.  So the Motorola MK3000 micro kiosk can be a POS tool for letting customers scan mobile bar codes themselves, without having to hand their personal phone over to the cashier.

Al Quinn, general manager of Advanced Data Capture, Motorola Solutions, says about the new products, “With the introduction of the DS457 and MK3000, Motorola Solutions is providing businesses with products utilizing breakthrough digital imaging technology capable of high-volume, hands-free scanning of virtually any bar code on virtually any surface. As customers rapidly adopt mobile bar codes for tickets, boarding passes and loyalty cards, the DS457 and MK3000 work successfully with this next generation bar code to help organizations protect customer confidence and increase customer satisfaction and employee productivity."

Website: Motorola Solutions Digital Imaging Data Capture Solutions

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions is a leading provider of mission-critical communication products and services for enterprise and government customers. Through leading-edge innovation and communications technology, it is a global leader that enables its customers to be their best in the moments that matter. www.motorolasolutions.com.

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