Microsoft has reported that since the launch of its color barcoding service in January 2009, 2 billion Tags have been printed, half of them in the past four months.

We introduced Microsoft Tag, the service that lets you create 2D color bar codes, in the news item Microsoft Tag and Barcoding in Color. (7 June 2010). Since then the increase in uptake of this free facility has been impressive.

According to Microsoft:

• The number of Tag users per month increased three fold in the first quarter since emerging from beta in May; the number of Tags scanned per month increased four fold during the same time period.
• To date, more than 100,000 Tag accounts have been set up to add interactive digital experiences to brand advertising and marketing campaigns.
• Since August, Tag has been used in more than 100 million magazine issues.
• In the largest known barcode campaign to date, Allure had 450,000 scans, using Microsoft Tag for its annual Free Stuff Giveaway issue in August.

Microsoft's announcement continues:

A broad range of brands across a wide variety of industries have deployed Tag, including Canon Inc., HMS Host Corp., Jones Apparel Group Inc., Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods Inc., Proctor & Gamble, Razor USA, Simmons Bedding Company, Simon & Schuster Inc. and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. Originally launched in January 2009, Tag momentum has been growing since it emerged from beta in May, with brands and their agencies leveraging Tag across their online, print, outdoor, retail and broadcast efforts to deeply engage consumers with a range of digital content.

If you want to join the bandwagon you can create any number of Tags for free by visiting the Microsoft Tag web site and there are readers for most mobile phones and an API. For practical help see Getting started with Microsoft Tag.

Related articles:

Microsoft Tag and Barcoding in Color

Getting started with Microsoft Tag