Touristic and sport objects in Tatarstan to be marked by special codes developed for mobile phones

Special codes for quick access to Internet web sites using smartphones and communicators will appear soon at Universiade objects, printed output of republican ministries and departments. Prospects of using the so-called tag-codes have been discussed today at a meeting in House of RT Government held by RT Premier Ildar Khalikov.

Tag-code is a coloured bar code developed by Microsoft company especially for recognition with photocameras installed on mobile phones. The link for certain Internet resource is coded in this bar code. The link is automatically identified by a mobile device. Thus, in spite of entering the link manually a user will just bring his camera of a mobile phone to a barcode and it will open the page needed.

For recognition of tag-codes one should download and install free application on his mobile phone. There are versions of this application for all widespread mobile platforms. Director-general of company Global Media Andrei Ermolaev presented possible variants of using such tag-codes. He told that currently the so-called QR-codes - a technology which preceded tag-codes is being used in Kazan. Objects in Kazan Kremlin and IT-park are marked by such codes, they enable passing on to pages that contain information about the object.

Andrei Ermolaev noted that tag-codes may be used on advertisement materials, presentation and exhibition stands. Codes directing to web sites of producers may be indicated on labels of goods.

By words of I.Khalikov, the advantages of tag-codes are speed and easy usage. At the same time codes themselves are free, only content in the Internet is needed.

Tatarstan Premier gave assignment to place tag-codes at Universiade objects, and objects of cultural and historical heritage in Tatarstan. Codes should direct to web sites containing information about terms of visit to certain objects, timetable of trainings, description of cultural and historical monuments. Also tag-codes should be placed on printed and exhibition materials of ministries and departments.

Ildar Khalikov thinks that tag-codes may also be used on stops of public transport in towns – with such links a person may receive the list of routes and know about time left to wait for the next bus using his communicator.

“Development of modern technologies results in communicator becoming a more popular medium of communication than computer. Thus, we have to adopt new technologies”, - Tatarstan Premier said.