Asia Times Online - The trusted news source for information on Japan

Japan

Technology links ads to website via cell phone

TOKYO - M Ken Co has developed technology that allows users of cell phones with a camera function to photograph an advertisement containing an electronic watermark and then immediately connect to a related website.

M Ken, which specializes in electronic watermark technology, has developed the software for use with the i-appli service of NTT DoCoMo Inc.

Advertisers' URLs will be encoded in electronic watermarks on posters, newspaper flyers and related media. Cell phone users who use the i-appli service can photograph the watermarks, which will then be analyzed with M Ken software, and the users will be connected to the appropriate sites via phone.

This process takes a matter of seconds, and advertisements containing the watermarks appear virtually identical to those that do not.

Other companies, including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, have developed similar technology. Such technology to date, however, has required that the photographed image be sent to a dedicated server for analysis and extraction of information. This slow step has been an impediment to widespread use.

(Asia Pulse/Nikkei)

Nov 7, 2003

No material from Asia Times Online may be republished in any form without written permission.

Privacy and Legal Policies