The day i published my blog post about QR Codes, i also posted a link to that post on Twitter and after a few minutes guess who do i get a “Follow” by ? Yep @MicrosoftTag and when i checked out their profile i was surprised never knew Microsoft Tag even existed so i checked it out and played with it all night so i could write a blog post later on : )

So first Question what is the Difference between QR Code and Microsoft Tag, Well both are 2D Barcodes and both work pretty much the same way but the real difference is in the platform, there is no real company standing behind QR Code no one really working to promote it there isn’t any one official website where you can generate QR Codes and get a QR Code Reader for your device while on the opposite Microsoft Tag has got well “Microsoft” behind it and by the looks of it Microsoft Tag is a bit more feature rich than QR Code.

Microsoft Tag Features :

• Microsoft Tag is available for all major Devices such as J2ME, Series60, iPhone , Windows Mobile, Blackberry
• Online Panel to manage all of the Tag’s that you have created.
• Detailed Statistics for each Tag like how many times people scanned the tag and followed the link !
• The ability to set end date for the Tag so Tag’s can actually expire ! like coupons
• Create Colored , Black and white or Design your own Custom Tags ! ( now that’s what i like most )
• Create a Tag with a vCard or Contact Details
• Create a Dialer Tag with a Phone Number you want to be Called
• Password Protect Text, Dialer or vCard Tags

To be Honest I like Microsoft Tag more specially because its easy to customize these Tags , while QR Codes were just simple plain old black and white tags but still after a bit of trying i was able to customize them but with Microsoft Tag its just easier.  Here are some fun ideas for using Microsoft Tag

Link people to your profile, blog, or contact information.

• Mix it up! Use one Tag for business colleagues and another version for social networking.
• Your Tag can link people to mobile sites, profiles, videos, podcasts, products, or other little pieces of content like ringtones and wallpapers.
• Never lose a number; contact data can be automatically added to your mobile address book.

Hyperlink the world.

• At an exhibit, snap a Tag and access additional information or interactive experiences.
• Bookmark the artist’s online page or brochure, promote a coming exhibit, or send e-mail with an invitation to a private reception.
• Tags are a shortcut to information that is ordinarily difficult to track down quickly on a mobile device.