Verizon Wireless Customers Get Quick Access to Information Using the ScanLife Mobile Barcode Application

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless said today its customers can get one-click access to product information, including application downloads, consumer reviews and more, using ScanLife, a free downloadable app found on more than 30 devices.  

The new technology from Scanbuy, Inc. makes it easier than ever for customers to access information by using their camera phones to take pictures or scan barcodes on certain products.  The app reads two-dimensional barcodes commonly found in magazines, outdoor advertising and UPC codes found on product packaging.  

Verizon Wireless customers can use ScanLife to:

• View product details and user reviews while shopping in a store
• Request coupon offers from magazines and other traditional forms of marketing
• Launch audio tours on their phones from kiosks in cities such as San Francisco and other major cities
• Connect business cards to contact information or social networking profiles

"ScanLife gives our customers a quick link right from their wireless phones to valuable content, including new apps and offers," said Richard Williams, executive director, digital media for Verizon Wireless.  "It's another great way customers can use their mobile phones to get the apps they want as well as an effective way to integrate the mobile phone with traditional media."

"Today we're taking a big step in taking mobile barcode technology to the mainstream public, and we expect it to help drive the entire industry forward," said Jonathan Bulkeley, chief executive officer of Scanbuy.  "There is no doubt that there is an enormous value in this technology for both consumers and businesses – the potential is unlimited."

ScanLife will read all major two-dimensional code formats, including Datamatrix, EZcode and QR codes.  Additionally, many Verizon Wireless devices with an auto-focus camera will also be able to read common one-dimensional barcodes (UPC, ISBN, EAN), which are found on most product packaging.  These barcodes will give consumers one-click access to specific product information, including price comparisons, product specifications and consumer reviews, making the consumer shopping experience completely interactive with valuable information available when it is needed most.

Any individual or business can create its own two-dimensional codes or register existing one-dimensional codes on the ScanLife Code Management Platform, available at www.scanlife.com.  Business customers will pay a flat fee based on their specific use of the system, while personal accounts are free of charge and can be used to connect to social networking profiles or contact information.  Thousands of national and local businesses have created accounts on the ScanLife platform to interact with consumers through their mobile devices.

ScanLife is available now to Verizon Wireless customers as a free download by visiting www.getscanlife.com on their Verizon Wireless devices' browsers.  Charges may apply to download and use the app depending on customers' data plans.  

For a list of compatible devices or for more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.  

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving nearly 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 81,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Scanbuy, Inc.

Scanbuy is the leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions that use the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife solution consists of a multi-barcode reader application and interoperable Code Management Platform.  The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Italy and Denmark.  Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable 2D barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices.  The company's investors include Motorola Ventures, Longworth Venture Partners, Masthead Venture Partners and Hudson Ventures.  For more information on Scanbuy, please visit www.scanbuy.com or www.scanlife.com.  

SOURCE Verizon Wireless