Texas City First To Go QR Crazy

By Joe Barber, Chief QR Officer at the CodeZQR division of Computer Output Print & Internet (COPI)

The City of Manor, Texas, a small town located just east of Austin, has become one of the first cities in the country to deploy QR Codes on a wide scale.  The city started off by putting the codes around town at local historic sites to create an interactive walking tour for visitors.

They have since expanded the program to put them up at construction sites to provide project information, on business cards, at city parks, and on a cake at a civic celebration.  They can also be found on the all of the major city buildings including the courthouse and school to provide information for that specific location.

It is not uncommon for us to hear about big cities being on the cutting edge of technology but it is rare that a city the size of Manor is on the cutting edge.  However, with the price tag for the entire project being under $500 this was a great way for Manor and other small cities to appeal to tech savy citizens and visitors without breaking the bank. 

For its efforts, Manor was awarded the 2008 Award for Most Innovative Use of Technology in Texas by the Center for Digital government.  It has also received the most publicity that I can remember since the movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grapes” was filmed there several years ago.

As a lifelong Texan and one who has driven through Manor many times on my travels from Houston to Austin I would have never envisioned Manor as a technology leader.

Now I can’t wait to stop in Manor on my next trip to Austin to check all this out and take the walking tour.  Look for a post on that trip soon.

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