By Bryan Yeager
Once in a great while, the general public is endowed with technology so disruptive that it changes the very nature of how we operate. Gutenberg’s invention of movable type helped spread literacy beyond people of nobility and wealth. Six Apart’s invention of the Movable Type blogging system helped spread Web publishing to those without advanced (programming) skills (what would we do without our daily dose of LOLcats and people shopping at Walmart?). Now, a new concept is expected to “mash-up” the best of the printed word and the virtual world – so much so that analysts expect it to send market forecasts into a double-digit CAGR frenzy. Welcome to the world of AugMented TransPromo.
What is AugMented TransPromo (AMTP), you ask? Well, first of all, it’s not “augmented transpromo”; please capitalize appropriately at all times. AugMented TransPromo is expected to change the way you receive and interact with your bills and statements like never before! Here’s how it works: your biller analyzes hundreds of variables and data points about you and your account, which can include embarrassing purchases, investments, phone calls, and text messages (watch out, Tiger!). Using special two-dimensional barcodes and “augmented white-space management” technology, your customized bill or statement is generated, printed, and sent. Below is a sample of what your document will look like when it comes in the mail:
The result is a completely functional bill, designed to optimize the customer experience. The real value of AMTP comes with the interactivity it brings to customer communication. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…4, 5. All the customer has to do is:
- Buy a Webcam if they don’t already have one
- Go to the biller’s Web site
- Login to their account
- Download the special browser plug-in (Internet Explorer and Windows-compatible only; sorry Mac, Linux, and Amiga users!)
- And once all that is running, point the large barcode from the bill or statement at the Webcam.
Just like that, a virtual Robert Downey, Jr. will pop up, tell a few jokes, and then read back to you information about your account in excruciating detail, down to the most awkward purchase or revealing text message.
Sure, that covers the “Trans” in AugMented TransPromo, but what about the “Promo” (with a capital “P”)? Robert Downey, Jr. is there to help as well. When you hold each of the right-side barcodes up to your Webcam, not only will Robert Downey, Jr. tell “your mom” and “knock-knock” jokes, but he’ll tell them with targeted product placements inserted throughout. For example – “It’s funny, your mom said the same thing to me last night while she was ordering two medium two-topping pizzas from Domino.com for $5.99 each last night.”
What if you want to view your AugMented TransPromo bill or statement electronically? Should you choose to receive your communications electronically, you will receive an e-mail with a PDF of your AMTP bill or statement. From there, just print it on your home computer, and go back to steps 1-5. Large-scale implementation of AMTP is sure to be a boon for transactional printers, paper companies, home and office printer manufacturers, Webcam manufacturers, Microsoft, and of course, consultants. Best of all, AMTP easily integrates with AFP, PDF, PPML, ADF, JDF, MRM, DAM, ECM, BPM, BAM, and CRM!
Get started today for only $299,999.95!
Note: Of course this is part of our annual April Fool's Day fun! Head back to WhatTheyThink for more!
