Mobile Migration

Microsoft Tags connect print with the web by letting users embed Tags with links. Download the Tag Reader software for a smartphone or other device at tag.microsoft.com and scan the tag below with its camera.

Two major revolutions, the adoption of the personal computer and the invention of the internet, changed the face of business forever. Now, mobile devices combining these two innovations are pushing business, literally, out the door. And local companies, including Microsoft Corp. and DocuSign Inc., are taking advantage of the smartphone’s widespread adoption with new products aimed at enhancing the business functions of a mobile phone.

Microsoft Tags are images in printed matter—magazines, flyers, books—that can be read digitally by a smartphone’s built-in camera. The software analyzes the image and can take the consumer to a web page with more of the content, whether it be editorial or advertising or something else entirely. A tag can be created from almost any image on the Microsoft Tags website, but most users opt for the default look of a black square filled in with pastel colored patterns.

Tags are already in use around the world, and some places, such as Amsterdam, have taken advantage of the free software to provide transit users with information about bus routes and schedules. Aaron Getz, product unit manager for Microsoft Tags, sees Tags spreading beyond just extra information. “If merchants put tags on clothing labels, customers can snap a picture of the label to add the item to their online shopping cart to purchase later,” he says.

Meanwhile, Seattle-based DocuSign’s software allows documents to be signed and stored electronically. A mobile application based on the company’s platform was released by Smart Mobile Solutions in August 2009. The app connects customers with their existing DocuSign account from a mobile phone. Documents can be signed without the app, but it is a necessary download to create documents from a mobile device.

Tom Gonser, vice president of strategy and one of the co-founders of DocuSign, says that the mobile app was released because their customers wanted to be able to handle all of their business through a mobile device. “They were telling us ‘I want to be able to close deals faster,’” Gonser explains.

The real estate industry has already moved toward mobile business, adopting both DocuSign and tags. Several “For Sale” signs now feature tags that lead users to extra information like pictures and video tours of the house, saving time and reducing waste. The National Association of Realtors also named DocuSign the official signing platform for its agents.

Despite rapid adoption by real estate agents, some companies fear that their customers won’t adjust to doing business on a mobile device. “John Hancock Financial was afraid that their customers wouldn’t switch [to digital signing]. They thought it would be too weird for them,” Gonser says. “The reverse actually happened; they started getting calls from customers saying how great the service was. This is a faster way to do business.”

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