Scanbuy Launches Barcode Registration Service to Link Everyday Products to Valuable Content via the Camera Phone

NEW YORK, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Scanbuy, Inc., the global leader in mobile barcode solutions, today announced an enhancement to its ScanLife Code Management Platform which will revolutionize how marketers use packaging to communicate with consumers.  'ScanLife Packaging Connect' will now allow any product manufacturer to link their existing UPC or EAN barcodes to specific digital information related to the item.  Now, in one click on the mobile device, brand owners can provide access to relevant digital content including recipe ideas, product demo videos, coupon offers, social network feeds and much more.

In order to facilitate this turnkey solution, Scanbuy is continuing its relationship with Augme Technologies Inc.  Augme, a leader in mobile marketing technology, will provide a platform that enables brands to quickly and efficiently create fully branded, mobile formatted content to enhance the consumer experience, effectively mobilizing product packaging.

This complete solution is being immediately offered by Graphic Packaging International (GPI) and Shorewood Packaging (International Paper) who provide services to some of the leading food, beverage and consumer products companies around the globe.  Over the next 12 months, thousands of products will be activated on the ScanLife Packaging Connect system to give cell phone users immediate access to valuable information from recipes to coupon offers.

"Barcodes can be found on virtually any package around the world, so this technology gives brands an easy way to deliver information to the consumer whether they are at home or in the store," said Jonathan Bulkeley, Chief Executive Officer of Scanbuy.  "While price comparison information is great for certain categories, like consumer electronics, it does not provide value for the thousands of products we use every day. The ScanLife Packaging Connect solution will link our millions of users to content which the brand can control."

The ScanLife mobile application was recently upgraded for the major Smartphone platforms, Android, BlackBerry and iPhone, to read one dimensional barcodes like UPC, EAN and ISBN.  Consumers can scan product codes on consumer electronics, books, and DVD's to see price comparisons and consumer reviews.  

ScanLife is already distributed on tens of millions of camera phones globally, and it is the only barcode reader being pre-loaded in countries like the United States, Mexico, and Spain.  Marketers can leverage this network of users to reach an audience that is using their mobile device to search for product information.  In fact, a recent study by Compete found that 52% of smartphone users are looking up product descriptions in-store.  

"The integrated offering created by this partnership is a first-of-its-kind application for mobile marketing, which is consistent with the mission of Augme," said Augme CEO Mark Severini. "Scanbuy's market leading mobile scanning capabilities combined with the full power of the AD LIFE platform creates an immediate opportunity for packaging companies to augment the value of their packaging by bringing to life the products they sell for the mobile consumer."

A number of consumer brands have already registered their UPC codes, including DROID by Motorola and independently owned Function Drinks.  For example, a consumer can use the ScanLife app to capture the UPC barcode on the DROID package to view a menu of options including product features, photos, a television commercial, and a link to purchase the device via Amazon Mobile.

Charlie Brignac, GPI's Marketing Manager for Winning at Retail, said: "For almost 40 years, the UPC has played an integral role in the final stage of a consumer purchase. With the advent of mobile UPC activation, that same well established industry standard now plays a much broader and more interactive role -- assisting the consumer in making final purchase decisions at the point of sale."

Some of the most popular new phones come with an autofocus camera, which is needed to read UPC barcodes including the DROID by Motorola, BlackBerry Tour, and iPhone 3GS.  People can download the free application from their mobile phones at www.getscanlife.com.  The app is also available from Android Market, BlackBerry App World™, and Apple's App Store.  

In addition to 1D barcodes, the ScanLife application also reads popular 2D barcode formats like Datamatrix, EZcode, and QR which are used in printed material like magazines, store displays, and outdoor signage.  Thousands of businesses have created accounts to manage their 2D barcode campaigns on the ScanLife Code Management Platform.  

About Scanbuy, Inc.

Scanbuy is the developer of the ScanLife mobile barcode solution that uses the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife mobile application converts millions of phones into barcode scanners to immediately launch content from physical media.  Media companies and marketers use the Code Management Platform to create and manage measurable mobile barcode campaigns.

Scanbuy has the largest and oldest patent portfolio of any company in the industry, with over 30 patents granted covering the entire solution.  The company's investors include Longworth Venture Partners, Masthead Venture Partners and Hudson Ventures.

For more information on Scanbuy, please visit www.scanbuy.com or www.scanlife.com.  

About Augme Technologies, Inc.

Augme Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AUGT) is the technology and services leader in interactive media marketing platforms that enable the seamless integration of brands, music, video and other content with life through the power of the Internet and mobile communications. Augme's intuitive new media marketing platforms give companies the control they need to quickly create, deploy and measure rich-media, interactive marketing campaigns across all networks and devices. Augme marketing platforms condense the customer loyalty cycle by personalizing the brand experience and delivering that experience to customers where they work, play and live. Through its three operating divisions including mobile marketing (AD LIFE™), video content delivery (AD BOOM™) and ad network provisioning (AD SERVE™), Augme is connecting brands and content to consumers in a network of mobile and multimedia experiences enabling companies and their marketing agencies to create new markets and monetize brand interactions. Augme is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.augme.com.

About Graphic Packaging International, Inc.

Graphic Packaging International, Inc., a subsidiary of Graphic Packaging Holding Company, headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, is a leading provider of paperboard packaging solutions for a wide variety of products to food, beverage and other consumer products companies. The company is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and holds a leading market position in coated-recycled boxboard and specialty bag packaging. The company's customers include some of the most widely recognized companies in the world. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available on the company's web site at www.graphicpkg.com.

SOURCE Scanbuy, Inc.