Tool launched to make barcodes internet-ready

A barcode tool that allows manufacturers and retailers to connect products to the web on a mass scale has been launched by EVRYTHNG, the digital identity and data management platform which is a GS1 US solution partner.

Brands can use the EVRYTHNG QuickStart Online Tool to create digital identities for their products at industrial scale using existing GS1 identifiers.

The tool will generate web addresses for each product item and easily connect to digital applications such as dietary information on food and beverage products, mobile checkout for direct purchase of products, post-sale registration and reward, product authentication and blockchain-backed provenance information.

The company believes that the web-enablement of GS1 identifiers, used on trillions of consumer products every year, will enhance the role of the ubiquitous barcode with expanded functionality, connecting every consumer product to the World Wide Web and allowing one code or tag to support multiple applications, including smartphone interaction by consumers.

Chief executive Niall Murphy said: “The ubiquitous barcode representing a GS1 identifier has served brands and retailers well for decades, scanned over 5 billion times a day around the world at points of sale. With billions of iOS and Android smartphones now enabled to automatically read and scan NFC and QR codes, the time is now for the GS1 global standard to become internet-enabled, connecting trillions of consumer products to the web.

“Millions of people already interact with proprietary smart codes from WeChat, Snapchat, Facebook, Amazon and others. A new standard for giving web addresses to products using GS1 identifiers, which we hope to see completed by mid-year 2018, will extend the value of the standard barcode, open products up for smartphone interaction, and make product digitization accessible to everyone globally.

“We are at an inflection point that can see the world’s consumer products connecting to the Web at massive scale. Consumers benefit with access to richer product information and digital services on every product. Brands, retailers and manufacturers are able to generate enormous efficiencies with data from and about their products throughout the lifecycle, and connect directly with their customers and consumers via their products.”