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Microsoft Tags connect print with the web by letting users |
Two major revolutions, the adoption of the personal computer
and the invention of the internet, changed the face of business forever. Now,
mobile devices combining these two innovations are pushing business, literally,
out the door. And local companies, including Microsoft
Corp. and DocuSign Inc., are taking
advantage of the smartphone’s widespread adoption with new products aimed at
enhancing the business functions of a mobile phone.
Microsoft Tags are images in printed matter—magazines,
flyers, books—that can be read digitally by a smartphone’s built-in camera. The
software analyzes the image and can take the consumer to a web page with more
of the content, whether it be editorial or advertising or something else
entirely. A tag can be created from almost any image on the Microsoft Tags
website, but most users opt for the default look of a black square filled in
with pastel colored patterns.
Tags are already in use around the world, and some places,
such as Amsterdam, have taken advantage of the free software to provide transit
users with information about bus routes and schedules. Aaron Getz, product unit
manager for Microsoft Tags, sees Tags spreading beyond just extra information.
“If merchants put tags on clothing labels, customers can snap a picture of the
label to add the item to their online shopping cart to purchase later,” he
says.
Meanwhile, Seattle-based DocuSign’s software allows
documents to be signed and stored electronically. A mobile application based on
the company’s platform was released by Smart Mobile Solutions
in August 2009. The app connects customers with their existing DocuSign account
from a mobile phone. Documents can be signed without the app, but it is a necessary
download to create documents from a mobile device.
Tom Gonser, vice president of strategy and one of the
co-founders of DocuSign, says that the mobile app was released because their
customers wanted to be able to handle all of their business through a mobile
device. “They were telling us ‘I want to be able to close deals faster,’”
Gonser explains.
The real estate industry has already moved toward mobile
business, adopting both DocuSign and tags. Several “For Sale” signs now feature
tags that lead users to extra information like pictures and video tours of the
house, saving time and reducing waste. The National
Association of Realtors also named DocuSign the official signing platform
for its agents.
Despite rapid adoption by real estate agents, some companies
fear that their customers won’t adjust to doing business on a mobile device.
“John Hancock Financial was afraid that their customers wouldn’t switch [to
digital signing]. They thought it would be too weird for them,” Gonser says.
“The reverse actually happened; they started getting calls from customers
saying how great the service was. This is a faster way to do business.”