Using QR Codes in "narrow casting"

A excellent video from HSBC which shows "well designed" QR Code graphics being used for staff awareness and training

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWSxbcU5J5g

Video and content are clearly designed for their Far East branches. Shame that HSBC is not doing the same in the UK. This is effectively "interactive narrow-casting"

The graphical design opportunities relating to QR codes is not understood in the UK - which is a real shame

IT Policies to protect your Business and Customers

I am Vice-Chairman of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce ICT sector and have helped to organise our next event. What every business needs to know about "managing how your staff use the internet" and "storing customer data" The event is planned for Thursday 14th April 1200-1400 Moller Centre, Storey's Way, Cambridge CB30DE. This is a huge issue that should be of major interest to HR and Customer Facing functions within a business (not just IT) What is absolutely critical is the need to adopt new technologies. I have just started a Twitter feed for business @Richard_Wishart which is proving invaluable - but how do you protect against its misuse in this grey area. Over-regulation or inappropriate-regulation can have very negative effects as well - so how do you get the balance right.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5011176/Your%20IT.pdf

Bank Account number portability

The Independent Banking Commission produced its interim report today - and made recommendations about full account number portability.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5011176/11_04_11_ibc_report.pdf

5.17 Beyond improvements to the existing system, full account number portability would enable customers to change banking service providers without changing their bank account number. This would remove the need to transfer direct debits and standing orders, which remains the main area where problems may arise. In the past, portability has been rejected as overly costly, but if no other solutions appear effective and practicable, it should be reconsidered to see if this remains the case given improvements in IT and the payments system infrastructure.

What an excellent idea and the IBC probably dont realise it yet - but the technology to do this is already there and deployed globally. I am a "serialised item identification" expert and this was my last project !!

The first thing is to use the ISO Licence Plate number concept for the account numbers and use "EPCIS" middleware from the RFID world for "Authentication" and "Trust" credentials. QR Codes and NFC can be used to hold the number in a form that allows it to be easily used.

This would really be the opportunity to bring Banking completely up to date and fully compatible with the latest eServices.

Order your Coffee using a QR code

Starbucks in the USA have been experimenting. Using a "QR code" reader on your iPhone to pay for your Latte !! From the on-line comments results so far are a bit mixed. A plea to Starbucks would be to keep the QR code, come to the UK and get the App onto Android. Cheers !!

The Computer paradigm is changing

At the end of November my company bought me a new Samsung Galaxy Tab as a Christmas present. During December and the Christmas break I have been in serious training - and now have the new technology up and working. It is absolutely brilliant and has now replaced both my smartphone and netbook for any business trip.

Read an article over Christmas from the Financial Times (on the Tab) and it really struck a chord.

Here is the link and a short extract

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/df949bca-1443-11e0-a21b-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1A5T6drAI

--- companies see their market share coming under attack from competitors offering mobile tablet devices and smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab with typically Arm-based processors, flash memory, Android operating systems and with no need for a mouse, keyboard or packaged software as they stream services over high-speed connections.

ID World in Milan 16th - 18th November

This is the link to the Conference Agenda for the ID World International Congress in Milan which has just been released http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5011269/IDW10_ConfAgenda.pdf

The Postal Innovation theme lauched in Abu Dhabi continues to be developed in Milan and their is a strong postal agenda in the "New Frontiers in Secure Delivery" session.

Following on from the recent Yemini bomb attack which challeged the international Express Parcel industry - there are really relevant sessions on "border control", "critical infrastructures" and "inspection and tracking" within the "Citizen ID Forum" and the "Transportation Security Forum"

If you need more information on the event please contact conference@idworldonline.com

An event forum has been created on Linkedin called "ID World" and I would be happy to pre-network with potential and actual attendees.

Interview on BBC Cambridgeshire

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5011269/Richard-Andie-Harper-interview-2010-11-02%20101615.mp3

Today I was interviewed on by Andie Harper of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire about the impact of the Yemini explosive devices on the international Air Express industry. Try the audio link above to listen to the interview

Andie uses all those years of experience as a teacher to sort out all those badly behaved organisations in the county and help you with your consumer problems. Listen every weekday from 9am to 12.30pm.

email: andy.harper@bbc.co.uk