Trade Show Specialist Utilizes Bar Code Readers For Automation
Technology Resource Corporation (TRC) is emerging as the go-to provider nationwide for companies looking for innovative, customizable computer and audio-visual solutions for trade shows and events. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, TRC has built a reputation for trade show success with comprehensive support services and cutting edge IT solutions.
But as the company expanded and business kept rolling in, success brought a new pain point – the need to find a powerful yet compact 2D Bluetooth barcode scanner solution to take its burgeoning business to the next level – and to improve the flow of traffic at trade shows, collect leads and streamline follow-up.
“2D barcodes contain a lot of data and with a simple scan, attendees can share whatever information they want with you electronically,” says Steve Cooper, who co-founded TRC with partner Greg Lazzaro.
“The scanners we were looking at were expensive and bulky and they required a lot of battery power. Their footprint was simply too large for what we were trying to accomplish. One biggest pain point was how do we get this powerful 2D scan engine that fits our needs from a size and portability standpoint.”
After extensive research, Cooper discovered KoamTac, a worldwide innovator in Bluetooth barcode scanning technology. Ironically, he didn’t have too far to look– KoamTac is located literally right up the road from TRC along Princeton’s robust Route 1 business corridor.
Cooper says he met with KoamTac’s founder and CEO, Dr. Hanjin Lee, and fully explored the company’s entire product suite of KDC Bluetooth barcode scanners, card readers and accessories. Though surprised at the compact, fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand size and as he admits, initially skeptical, Cooper quickly became a huge fan of KoamTac’s entire Bluetooth barcode scanner line, especially the KDC300.
“We did a lot of testing and prodding, and we were thrilled with the KDC300’s footprint, small for a 2D scanner, the smallest we know of, but our real assurance came from the scan engine itself,” says Cooper. “It was probably one of the most reliable can’t-miss imaging scan engines we found of all the devices we tested, including some of the bigger footprints and some of the bigger name brands, and we’ve been doing this a long time. We looked at each other and said, ‘This thing doesn’t miss.’”
KoamTac’s KDC300 has become a staple at all of TRC’s trade shows, any event where lead capture, retrieval and follow-up is a vital part of the interaction between the exhibitor and the attendee. Their ruggedness, durability and dependability have also made them the perfect technology partner for TRC’s college fair automation business.
“These scanners go through the wringer,” explains Cooper. “They get shipped from here to every venue; they’re packed en masse. We often put them on lanyards, and you wear them around your neck. People have a tendency to take them off and swing them around. They hit the table and they hit the floor. But they’ve been very durable and rugged, and in fact, we haven’t yet had an issue, even one with a physical drop.”
While portability and reliability have been the foundation of the KDC300’s success for TRC’s business, Cooper says what he truly appreciates is the relationship he and his company have forged with KoamTac and Dr. Hanjin Lee himself.
“A lot of people will sell you stuff, walk away and say great sale, good job, but Hanjin has made us feel like a partner rather than a customer. He is extremely responsive. It’s beyond what we expected,” he says.
Dr. Lee worked with the team at TRC to develop custom features for their scanners – a distinctive color with the company logo and a protective rubber boot. KoamTac’s tech support team also helped TRC develop software, work out firmware, and determine what works best for the business, not just today but down the road as new technologies continue to emerge.
As Cooper observes, “These scanners are allowing us to develop applications for the latest and greatest iOS platforms, Droid platforms, and move forward with all of those smartphone platforms. They’re allowing us to ride that wave into the future instead of watching that wave go by and trying to figure out how we’re going to catch up.”
About Technology Resource Corporation
Technology Resource Corporation (TRC) is the leading, single source provider of innovative, customizable computer and audio visual solutions for trade show and event success. TRC's cutting edge IT and AV solutions, registration products, rental equipment, and comprehensive support services enable you to efficiently and effectively manage every aspect of event planning and execution.
About KoamTac, Inc
KoamTac was founded in 2002 by Dr. Hanjin Lee, an engineer and inventor who holds multiple patents in the scanning technology field and has many more pending. Dr. Lee's vision was to create a new market in the barcode world with an exciting new product with a quality and versatility that set it apart from the competition. He made his product universally compatible with all technology platforms --PCs, Android, Blackberry, iOS and Mac, and also saw the sweet spot in the market that opened up with the explosion of smartphone and tablet usage.
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