More than a dozen global corporations have formed a new body, which will aim to provide more accurate product information to consumers using mobile devices and the Internet.
The Business to Consumer Alliance was conceived by non-profit groups GS1 U.S. and GS1 Canada, along with corporations AT&T, Cisco, IBM, MITs Auto-ID Lab, Microsoft, NeoMedia Technologies, Scanbuy, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, JM Smucker, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, and Premier healthcare alliance.
The National Retail Federation is also participating in the organization, promising to contribute its knowledge of retail operations.
The B2C Alliance has said one of the primary reasons that the organization was created was the alarming trend of incorrect data or incomplete results being provided to consumers.
According to MITs Auto-ID Lab, The number of people searching and shopping with smartphones is growing in the triple digits with no signs of slowing. At the same time, sources are proliferating. Its essential that any shortcomings in this area are addressed today.
The B2C Alliance first convened last March to discuss the state of publicly available product data, and decided to form the alliance and work together toward common goals. Alliance members have split into working groups to develop the most significant scenarios in order to define the logistical requirements, with GS1 standards as a foundational element.
