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Advantages of indirect encoding over direct encoding

Indirect encoding method offers obvious advantages over direct method and presents huge application areas. Here are some of the advantages of indirect encoding:

  1. Indirect codes have a small size: The code size varies depending on the amount of information encoded in it. As indirect codes only compress an index, they have the adequate size to be successfully read and decoded by the mobile phone. However direct codes, containing a URL for example, are mostly too large and not appropriate for printed media.

  2. Indirect codes compress unlimited information: While direct codes allow limited data to be carried in the code in order to be read by the code reader application, indirect codes can be created limitless. The target information linked to the index contained in the code can vary and be as long as the client or code owner needs it. The variety of inputs possible is lager for indirect than direct codes that can contain UPC, EAN, ISBN and other product codes as well as keywords.

  3. Indirect codes ensure added durability and maintain advertising continuality: The central resolution server manages the content indexed to each indirect codes, allowing clients and codes owners to easily update information without having to change codes. New or more information would simply involve changing the content linked to the index and not the code itself. Indirect codes remain the same and keep linking to the proper data while direct codes are unusable any longer. For example, if a website changes and a webpage is removed, the URL encoded will be incorrect. The direct code will not link to the appropriate website and all materials (e.g. newspapers, ads, billboards, books, etc.) where the direct code has been placed will be erroneous and out of use. However, the index encoded remains the same making indirect codes durable and up-to-date.

  4. Indirect codes make the most of the advertisement utilization: Besides their durability and long-time use, small and smart indirect codes can be discreetly placed in any kind of prints or attached on any information display surface, such as advertising panels, billboards, walls, enabling any mobile phone user to access digital information and therefore maximizing the advertising utilization. As advertising space costs in given media vehicle are significant and mostly very high, the budget-minded advertiser or agency will not use any ad space for large direct codes which will impact the communications goals.

  5. Indirect codes maximize the addressable handset market: Being small, discreet and durable, indirect codes can be read and decoded by a large number of mobile phones currently available on the market and not just a handful of handsets. Depending on the camera lens, optics, resolution and illumination, not every mobile phone is able to read large direct codes but small indirect codes.

  6. Indirect codes offer a wide range of exciting applications: The ability for individuals and corporations to interact with the electronic world will allow economies to be much more efficient and consumer-product companies to make their products more attractive. This also will revolutionize the ad industry by providing a one-to-one, permission-based, personalized and profiled dialogue with customers. Indirect codes can be used in a wide range of application areas, from commercial to social and educational. For example, indirect codes could be used in grocery stores to get additional and nutritional information on products. They could be used for advertising purposes, to download a trailer or music off a movie promotional poster, for instance. Or simply to help users to find the nearest cinema or call up an online box office. Indirect codes could be embedded in business cards to link to constantly updated contact information. Moreover, indirect codes could be used in museum and galleries, where visitors could download high-quality audio and visual content about exhibits in multiple languages. Tourists could retrieve sightseeing information as they walk through a city.