Nokia phones to scan barcodes

Nokia Corp. said it will embed barcode-reading technology from Scanbuy Inc. on some of its handsets.
The world’s No. 1 handset manufacturer said it will preload the software on its S40 and S60 devices, allowing mobile users to read barcodes on products and advertisements with their phones. The companies plan to target users in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan initially before moving to other markets.
Wireless software developers have long looked to barcodes in an effort to spur m-commerce and mobile marketing efforts. Companies such as Ericsson, Nextcode and NeoMedia Technologies Inc. are hoping to entice subscribers to read barcodes to access content and product information.
“Within the next 24 months, we expect 2-D barcodes to become ubiquitous within Greater China as marketers and media deploy codes on all products and advertising,” said Scanbuy CEO Jonathan Bulkeley.