I'm glad to announce that we’ve moved our official Microsoft Tag blog under our new website. You can now follow our latest news regarding Microsoft Tag and 2D barcode world here.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook :) See you over there!

It has been 18 months since we launched Microsoft Tag, Microsoft’s mobile barcode technology. In that time, more than one billion Tags have been printed by people and businesses all over the world. In the month of April alone, more than 20 million magazines with Tags were in the hands of U.S. consumers.

Today, I am thrilled to announce Tag is coming out of beta and that basic use of Tags will be free of charge. This specifically means you will be able to generate and use Tags that link to our standard scenarios and use the reader application at no cost. By simply going to Tag.Microsoft.com, you can create Tags and deliver rich interactive experiences on mobile phones, track your Tags and read about how companies like Conde Nast and others are using Tag.

Based on feedback we’ve heard from businesses using Tag, we also plan to offer the ability to create richer, more powerful, and more effective solutions and experiences through a variety of value-added services, such as advanced reporting and analytics and real-time location services. We will add these and other value-added features over time.

What does this transition mean for Tag? Let me step back for a moment to explain how we got here. Since launching Tag, users have told us that they love how it opens doors for them to access rich digital experiences that enhance their lives. Businesses have told us that with Tag, they can reach a deeper level of engagement with their customers. Time and time again, we’ve gotten the message that people around the world are ready for the broad deployment of this technology.

We’ve already seen a lot of enthusiasm for Tag among marketers, developers and consumers as well as a diverse range of creative scenarios using Tag—in industries as varied as publishing, advertising, retail, real estate, transit, automotive, consumer packaged goods, tourism and entertainment. Whether it’s Golf Digest demonstrating the perfect swing, Fearless Records connecting fans to new music and info about their favorite bands, Avatar showcasing its movie trailer, or a Tag on your morning box of Wheaties, Tag is increasingly making the world around us clickable.

Just this week, Amsterdam became the second city with a Tag-led tour, with Tags on monuments, museums, restaurants, bars, and other landmarks. The Mall of America, in Minnesota, just announced plans to use Tag to help enhance customer engagement and give retailers an interactive tool to promote their products. These are just a few examples, and by staying connected through our blog and Tag communities on Facebook and Twitter, you can discover many more ways to use Tag to increase the effectiveness of your marketing and create a powerful experience for your customers.

Coming out of beta we’ve updated our website, the Tag Campaign Manager and improved our Tag Reader clients and also introduced some cool new features that will enhance customers’ ability to create, execute and track creative Tag campaigns:

• A device ID feature will allow marketers to deliver a more personalized consumer experience across multiple Tags. For example, consumers can now receive customized content, such as a coupon or other offer from a retail outlet, based on Tags they’ve previously scanned
• A new .tag file format will make it easier to print and manage a large number of different Tags as part of a broad campaign deployment. Developers of professional printing programs can now generate the Tag graphic on the fly as part of their solution
• Tag has always been available worldwide and has been distributed and deployed globally. We have added localization in five new languages which include: French, Spanish, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Italian
• And finally, we will be introducing a beta Heat Map feature in the next few days, available in the Tag Campaign Manager, that will help companies better measure Tag usage by location and make more informed decisions about their Tag campaigns and overall marketing spend

You can find more about how to implement these features and more over at the Microsoft Tag website.

Just imagine a world where any physical object can become a gateway to a world of digital content and engagement: You scan a product in a newspaper, get a personalized offer, buy it on the spot, or get directions to the store to buy it later; Or you scan a poster for a play, see a preview of the performance, invite friends, and buy tickets. This is what Tag can do for you, for your users, for your marketing campaign, and for your business. All you have to do is simply click on things in your physical world to make your world interactive on the spot.

-Aaron Getz, General Manager, Microsoft Tag

The Tag Reader localized in Simplified Chinese:

Today @MicrosoftTag is starting a new #TagTuesday contest.  What does this mean? It means that every Tuesday for the next 12 weeks we will pick one lucky Tweeter as a winner.

This time around we are giving away 12 HP Mini 311 Netbooks. One every week for the next Twelve weeks!

So how can you enter to get one of these fancy Netbooks?

All you have to do is:

1- Follow @MicrosoftTag on Twitter

2- Tweet: I just entered to WIN 1 of 12 HP Mini Laptops. Just follow @MicrosoftTag and RT to enter! http://ow.ly/1Ja1S #contest

Every week on Tuesday, we will give one HP Netbook away. Every Tweet you tweet counts as one entry into the contest.

For Official Rules Click Here

Have any questions? Just ask @MicrosoftTag on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter: @MicrosoftTag

Join our Community : Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Create Your Own Tag: Tag.Microsoft.com

This week at Web 2.0 in San Francisco, Microsoft Tag is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt.
People are able to hunt around for nine different Tags. Each Tag has three random prizes attached to them. People who scan these Tags have a great chance of winning an HD Zune or an Xbox game. The first two contestants who scan each nine Tags will win one of  two Xbox Elite Gaming Systems. 

So how do you get started?

Well first make sure that you are a registered Web 2.0 attendee.

Then:

1. Download Microsoft Tag to your smart phone
2. Then, beginning Monday, start deciphering our nine clues. Each clue represents a location where we have a Tag for you to snap. When you snap a Tag, you'll be notified that you snapped the Tag successfully.
3. Instant Prizes: we'll have three instant, random winners at each location. If you're a winner, you'll be asked for your contact info. Then you will receive a confirmation email. Winners must collect their prize from the Web 2.0 Expo Registration Help Desk in Moscone West registration by 12 noon on Thursday, May 6.
4. Grand Prizes: The first two attendees who successfully check-in and snap a Tag at each of our 9 locations will win one of our two grand prizes.

The Clues (These are the clues to where the Tags are)

So, what are you waiting for? Well, you have to wait until Monday, but then, see below for the clues to our nine locations. You can solve the clues and snap the tags in any order.

1. We'll keep this one easy—go to the top of this page to find the first tag.
2. Visit this booth to thank them for supplying the great prizes and technology for the Web 2.0 Expo scavenger hunt.
3. Get ahead in the Web 2.0 Expo scavenger hunt by stopping by this art display on the Expo Floor.
4. Stop by this space where attendees create the conversation. It's Open Tuesday and Wednesday.
5. 10 minute presentations by our sponsors and exhibitors—visit this spot on the show floor for another chance to win a great prize!
6. Where can you see Ben Huh, Chris Anderson and Hilary Mason? Enter here to find out.
7. Make sure to stop by this table near registration to make your badge pretty.
8. Visit this company's booth—spreading knowledge is their motto, and oh yeah, they Co-Produce Web 2.0 Expo too!
9. No lizards or lemurs in this part of Expo Hall—just great examples of up-and-coming Web 2.0 companies

Let us know if you find a Tag or need any help!

Follow us on Twitter: @MicrosoftTag

Join our Community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

The publication has a total of 8 Tags and most of the Tags, when resolved,  link to “Cubicle Confessions” & Photo shoots

Below are some examples of Microsoft Tag in TV Guide. 

When scanned this Tag reveals this YouTube experience with The Men of NCIS! Michael Weatherly, Mark Harmon and Sean Murray!

Below is another example of Microsoft Tag in Tv Guide:

When this Microsoft Tag is scanned it reveals this YouTube experience of  Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy

Fearless Records loves the idea that music can instantly be in the palm of your hands with the snap of one simple picture.

Four months ago we started using tagging as a new way to market our artists, their music, merchandise, contests and more.  We were impressed by how the technology could transform everyday music needs into live links for the latest information right in the palm of your hand.

We couldn’t think of a better way to directly communicate with audience. What we know already about these kids is that they live with their cell phones, sleep with their cell phones, go to class with their cell phones and go out with their cell phones so utilizing the tag made perfect sense.  Fearless Records has launched many campaigns focusing on education, awareness, and repetition. The label is using the technology to simply interact with fans in a variety of new and exciting ways.  We have used MS Tags in print and online advertisements, social sites, video content, posters, merchandise catalogs, music samplers and more! 

Our biggest success with Microsoft Tag came with fully integrating the technology into a large campaign surrounding our latest Punk Goes... compilation release, Punk Goes Classic Rock. Punk Goes Classic Rock is the ninth edition of the highly-successful and internationally known Punk Goes... series. We utilized MS Tags throughout advertisements, posters, merchandise, social sites and in the video trailer.  This overall interactive experience has lead to the growth in our album pre-sale along with added interest to the artists involved with the compilation which is exactly what we wanted.

We have also had other success stories including the online usage of MS Tags for our artists Every Avenue and Artist Vs Poet. We easily executed their campaigns by having the artists create MS Tag instructional videos, placing several MS Tags online, and then encouraging our fans to run around online and interact with these tags. These simple interactions not only excited fans but also the band and the label.

Joyce Mealey, Fearless Records

Create your own Tag : tag.microsoft.com

Follow Tag on Twitter: @MicrosoftTag

Join our Community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Local Real Estate Agency Windermere have done a wonderful job using Tag for their listed homes. Above you can see that a sign in front of a home for sale has a Tag on it. This is great for so many reasons.

1-     Pamphlets can get wet or blown away

2-     Saves paper

3-     The interested person now has the house information on their mobile phone (less chance of losing the info)

4-     People instantly have access to more information about the home including photos and other media

Windermere says the Tag us is in the pilot stage right now, with most of these Tags being used in Seattle.  If you scan the tag you can get all of the home's listing details such as price, bedrooms/bathrooms, pictures and contact info.  Windermere says it also plans to use tags in its print media advertising, which will link to the company's website.

"The intent is to engage our customers with instant, interactive information. We will closely watch the activity generated during the pilot period and come up with additional ways to integrate Tag into our business practice."
- John Jones, Chief Operations Officer at Windermere

Below you can see an example page of what a user will see when they scan the Tag of a certain home:

A great article from a Windermere Real Estate Agent on Tag: Read Here

Let us know if you found your dream house using Tag !

Follow us on Twitter: @MicrosoftTag

Join our Community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

This week Entertainment Weekly published its Summer Movie Preview issue which uses Microsoft Tag to allow readers to view official trailers of 16 featured films via their mobile phones. 

In addition to the 16 movie trailers, there are also advertising tags from (Absolut, HBO, The History Channel, Honda, and CTAM/Movies on Demand) included in the issue.

This is a great way for any filmmaker to take their print posters/movie covers to an interactive level. Allowing the filmmaker to point the interested party to whatever content they choose, whether it be a trailer, movie times, biography or something creative.  This really helps people understand more about the movie before they make their decision.

Have you seen Tag on any movie posters?  How would you like to see the film industry use Microsoft Tag?

The following Tag shown above takes the user to the following Trailer for the movie:

Create your own Tag : tag.microsoft.com

Follow us on Twitter: @MicrosoftTag

Join our Community : Facebook/MicrosoftTag

The Chicago-based Society for Architectural Historians expects the Microsoft Tag tour to be up and running this weekend in time for its annual convention in Chicago from April 21 - 25.