Microsoft Tag VS Reusable QR Codes

Which is better? The Reusable QR Code or the Microsoft Tag


We always want to know that we are using the "best" technology.  The kind of technology that will beat all of the others and be around for years.  None of us want to pick the crappy technology that goes away in months.  We want to pick the Xbox and not the Sega CD, the Airplane and not the Zeppelin.


So which bar code technology should we pick, the Microsoft Tag or the QR code?


Lets look at some of the pros and con's of each technology along with some key differences to decide which one is the champ and will survive the longest.


First off, the Microsoft TAG is colorful.  Color is nice, but here are the different things that you can currently put in to a TAG.


-URL for a website
-Phone Call
-vCard (contact)
-Text


Here are the things that you can put in to a QR code.


-URL for a website
-Bookmark (Favorite)
-Phone Call
-SMS message
-Email message
-vCard (Contact)
-Text
-Encryption
-Geographical Coordinates
-Jigsaw


TAG's are all the same size in relation to each other which provides for very fast scanning with a reader.  QR codes can be read exceptionally fast (hence the QR Quick Response) but only if it is a decent size QR code with a good reader.  Extremely large or small QR codes are very tough to scan.


TAG's can only be read with a Microsoft Tag reader (which is available for most phones).  QR codes are open source and can be read by hundreds of online and offline devices.  


The main difference between a TAG and a QR code is that a TAG is just an ID that fetches information corresponding to that ID.  QR codes can be encoded with many different types of data that can do a myriad of things.


QR codes are a very mature technology that have been used for a long time in many countries.  TAG is a reasonably young technology that has not yet been proven. TAG's also are accessed on a private server so if that server ever goes down all the tags out there will be SOL.  QR codes can put all the information that you need right inside the code. You can make tags look very customized like in the example to the right.

Some QR codes have a Reed Solomon error correction up to 30% meaning that 30% of the surface area of the code can be ruined and the code will still function.  This means that you can put a picture of yourself or your company logo smack dab on the code and it will still work. See the example to the right.


Both technologies are useful and can be used to implement great marketing.  Microsoft tag has potential and I am taking a wait and see approach before I will fully endorse them.  QR codes are proven and have ±60 million users in Japan which is pretty impressive.  For now I would use the Reusable QR code (make sure it is reusable and that you can change where it points to at anytime http://upcqr.com) over the Microsoft Tag.  


What are your thoughts?