I recently came across an interesting article in a recent post from Supply Chain Brain on the benefits of laser technology.

When choosing between laser technology or camera technology for your barcode scanner, there are a lot of different factors with each industry to consider.

Cost
Laser technology used in barcode scanners is much more cost effective, as the total cost of ownership is much lower than with cameras.

Maintenance
Laser-based barcode scanners are much more simpler and easier to maintain.

Barcode Orientation
If you don’t have control over the orientation of your barcodes, then you may want to bypass laser technology and choose a camera-based option, which allows for omni-directional barcode scanning.

Barcode Symbology
The type of barcode you need to scan greatly affects your choice in barcode scanner—if you need to scan 2D barcodes, you’ll want to pick a scanner with those capabilities.

However, the industry truly determines the kind of barcode scanner you might need—warehousing and conveyor applications may want the omni-directional capabilities of camera-based barcode technology, where as those in the retail industry may just need a simple laser scanner.

Share your thoughts on barcode scanning within your industry by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

Could colored barcode scanners be all the rage?

When you think of imagery associated with the barcoding industry, bright colors don’t exactly come to mind, but now, things are changing. Barcode scanners now go way beyond the warehouse, and into the hands of retailers, police officers and sales reps.

I recently came across a post entitle, “Fifty Shades of Gray in the Bar Code Industry,” that points out that barcode scanners are not always the most aesthetically pleasing—why don’t they come in different colors?

Socket Mobile has been thinking about making different colored barcode scanners, and I think it’s a great idea. They tought about making a pink barcode scanner for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and also explored other colors and even one with wood finishing.

So, why are there still no colored barcode scanners? Tim Miller, chief operating officer of Socket Mobile stated, “We think it’s exciting that scanning is moving into the front end. In fact, we often hear that customers have chosen our scanners because they look good with the Apple iPad/iPhone. And if a company is planning to order a large quantity and wants a custom design, we can do that through our OEM department. It’s not a problem. It’s just not financially sound for us to produce these options without a buyer already committed.”

While mass-produced, colorful barcode scanners may not be an option for now, it’s good to know custom ones are available.

Do you think color barcode scanners could become a thing of the future? Share your thoughts by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

About a year ago, Tanzania did not have a national barcode, but now, nearly 2,000 products have registered for the new national barcode.
Before the GS1 TZ National Limited was established, businesses had to buy barcodes from Kenya, South Africa and Denmark, which became an added expense on businesses.

In addition to getting rid of this expense, the Tanzania national barcode allows for locally made goods to be sold in foreign markets, generating more production and, in turn, revenue.

A barcode awareness campaign has been established in order to ensure that companies throughout Tanzania use the technology.
Having a national barcode allows the manufacturer to be traced and also provides more detail about where a product was manufactured and the contents/ingredients that were used. In addition, barcodes will prevent counterfeit, substandard goods.

Barcodes issued in Tanzania will have the prefix “620,” so look for some Tanzanian-made products near you!

Barcode scanning on the iPhone, iPad or other consumer-grade mobile device is possible with the right POS solution.

As retail solutions continue to expand to once consumer-only devices, such as the iPhone or iPad, it seems as if everyone is looking for the right point of sale (POS) solution.

I recently came across a POS solution that allows for barcode scanning on the iPhone and other Apple devices, in addition to Blackberry, Android and Palm devices. Grabba offers attachments as a way to expand the capabilities of consumer-grade smartphones, offering solutions for data capture, verification or transaction processing.

Grabba attachments are even capable of making your iPhone or other consumer grade device compatible with RFID technology, infrared, signature capture and can feature a fingerprint reader.

Contact us if you want more information on how to turn your iPhone into a barcode scanner for your ideal POS solutions.

The healthcare industry plays a huge role in the world of automated data collection—and because healthcare has such specific needs, specific devices are needed. The Intermec SG20 Healthcare 2D Imager is specifically designed with the hospital environment in mind, even featuring a housing for disinfectant-ready materials.

In an industry where a matter of seconds could mean life or death, it’s reassuring to know that the Intermec SG20 is the fastest 2D healthcare scanner on the market. The Intermec SG20 features:

• Ergonomic styling
• White scanner housing made of disinfectant-ready materials
• Large LED for effective visual feedback
• Wire range of accessories to increase scanner flexibility
• Seamless integration with healthcare information management systems

Learn more about the Intermec SG20 barcode scanner for healthcare.