A new article and video posted by GS1 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the invention of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) – the number behind the barcode.
Developed in 1971, the GTIN revolutionized the modern economy, setting the stage for global, digitalized commerce. Competitors came together to contribute to the development of the standard, leading to barcodes that are now scanned over six billion times every day. Today, developments are being made towards next generation barcodes (like QR codes) that can hold more information, such as whether a product contains allergens or details on its carbon footprint.
Read the GS1 article and view the video to learn more about the history and future of barcodes.
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