Because of the multitude of possible barcode formats available, many of them proprietary, the GS1 Mobile Com group recommends using only barcodes that meet the following criteria:

• Approved by ISO and therefore public domain status declared
• Approved by GS1
• Open standards (royalty free use, no patent exercised)
• Proven implementation (mobile or non-mobile)
• Can be read by a consumer-available mobile device

GS1 recommendations

As a consequence, the GS1 Mobile Com group recommends using only the following barcodes:

• GS1 EAN/UPC. The 1D barcode used on all millions of consumer products worldwide.

• GS1 DataMatrix. 2D barcode currently implemented in numerous sectors including automotive and healthcare direct part marking.

• Quick Response (QR) code. 2D barcode well-known in Japan and East Asia for mobile applications. Currently, QR code is not a GS1 standard. However since the GS1 carrier policy change in May 2008, it can be submitted to GS1 for approval.
The GS1 Mobile Com group also recommends that these barcodes support both GS1 identification keys (unique numbers to identify products, locations and more) and GS1 application identifiers to ensure backward and forward compatibility with other barcode application requirements.

Future perspectives

For the future, the GS1 Mobile Com group is working for GS1 DataBar (a higher capacity 1D barcode to be adopted by 1 January 2010) and Electronic Product Code (EPC) compliant Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to be read by consumer-available mobile devices. The GS1 Mobile Com group has established a sub-group to work on a clear position relative to Near Field Communication (NFC).

Goal of this recommendation

The goal of this recommendation is to help companies innovate and test new applications for mobile commerce. Simplifying the options available to companies will stimulate growth in this area and clear a path towards more cost-effective mobile applications. Beyond the short-term, companies will be able to built interoperable and scalable systems and ensure consistent consumer experience across devices and markets. This position paper does not replace the GS1 standardisation process and the GS1 Mobile Com group is actively moving forward standardisation in this area.

About GS1 Mobile Com

GS1 Mobile Com is an industry-wide initiative to enable businesses to give consumers access to product information via their mobile phones. The objective is to provide a simple way for consumers and businesses to interact based on an open infrastructure and open standards.

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