GSI to Offer QR Barcodes on Reports for Instant Smartphone Verification

QR Codes such as this are heavily used by smartphone users and a growing number of companies

(IDEX Online News) - Gemological Science International (GSI) is the first diamond grading lab to embrace the fast-growing QR (Quick Response) barcodes technology, the lab announced Monday. It is now including a QR barcode on its reports, which will allow suppliers, retailers and consumers real-time verification of GSI diamond reports.

QR barcodes are increasingly used for real-time marketing and data tracking in a number of sectors. Using any smartphone, a person can scan the barcode on the report and instantly be directed to the GSI webpage that shows the actual report. GSI is the only gem lab that offers an image of the actual grading report online.

“QR technology provides a rapid, third-party verification for the consumer and others, which can help overcome considerations regarding authenticity at the sales counter,” said GSI CEO Mark Gershburg, who founded the lab in 2000. 

According to a new consumer adoption study from ScanBuy, a barcode technology industry leader, barcoding scanning was up 700% among the users of its technology in 2010. Linking to a website is the most popular action delivered by 2D barcoding, according to industry experts.

Calvin Klein replaced its provocative New York City billboards in 2010 with large barcodes directing consumers to a 40-second commercial online. High-tech barcodes have also been used on print ads, in-store displays, event ticketing and tracking, couponing, business cards, email marketing, and even on cookies as the inventor of the QR code, Denso, did for a Japanese trade show promotion.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of uses for QR coding,” said Gershburg. “We’re very excited about this new technology and its uses in our industry.