(Video) Mobeam Brings Digital Coupons to New Samsung Phone

Mobeam–a tiny startup with as many employees as it has patents–will have its barcode-scanning technology embedded in sensors on all Samsung 005930.SE -2.30% Galaxy S IV devices, the company announced Thursday at the Samsung launch event in New York.
Because Mobeam’s technology uses a light source to mimic the black-and-white sequencing of a barcode, standard laser scanners already in use now at most retail locations will be able to read digital coupons straight from the Galaxy S IV device.

“The enemy we really have now is paper,” said Mobeam Chief Executive Chris Sellers.
Although there are other initiatives to make digital couponing a reality–notable efforts by Safeway SWY +1.58% and American Express AXP +0.12% allow customers to pre-load offers on mobile loyalty apps which are then redeemed at checkout–adoption is far from widespread. In fact, NCH Marketing Services puts digital at less than 1% of all coupons distributed in 2012 and that number includes those printed at home and paperless offers downloaded to loyalty cards or mobile devices.
It’s not for lack of potential, however.
Along with being cheaper to distribute, digital coupons allow brands to collect valuable data about browsing, buying, redemption rates and other habits with customer permission. Another plus? In addition to alleviating consumer fatigue for organizing scraps of paper (see Mobeam’s video below), brands only pay for the digital coupons that are actually redeemed.
Redeeming those digital deals has been the trickiest part so far and the main barrier to widespread use. Reflective, shiny and backlit screens on smartphones have made scanning offers–unless retailers bought new Near Field Communication or 2D imaging hardware–at the point of sale near impossible.
Mobeam, which spun out of parent company Ecrio in 2010, approached the problem differently, with a focus on working with existing laser scanners already in use. Although the San Francisco-based startup initially wanted to embed its technology into the operating system of mobile devices, it shifted gears about a year ago to embed in sensors instead and partnered with manufacturer AMS.

Mr. Sellers confirmed additional deals are underway with other mobile-device manufacturers besides Samsung which may also include the AMS partnership, but declined to share the names or potential launch dates.
So why was Samsung first? Might have something to do with Mobeam’s investors.
Samsung Venture Investment, the corporate investing arm of Samsung Electronics, contributed to the firm’s $6.4 million in venture funding since 2010. Fairbridge Venture Partners (formerly Yet2Ventures), Mitsui and DFJ Athena, a Korea-focused venture fund affiliated with Draper Fisher Jurvetson also participated.

From: blogs.wsj

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