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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to chat for an hour with Craig Crossman on ComputerAmerica about Scanaroo.  ( ComputerAmerica is the nation’s longest running nationally syndicated radio talk show on computers and technology and is heard on both the Business TalkRadio Network and the Lifestyle TalkRadio Network, weeknights at 10PM Eastern time, by about 1.5MM listeners.)

The conversation with Crossman was a really good time. We covered all sorts of different things around the history of Scanaroo, including:

• What was the genesis behind developing Scanaroo?
• How will Scanaroo help customers?
• How will mobile devices and applications like Scanaroo affect business?
• Is this just for loyalty cards?
• What has the market’s reaction been thusfar? How many users?
• How is it being promoted?
• What’s next for Scanaroo?

All in all, a highly enjoyable conversation. Take a listen.

Many consumers’ wallets and purses are bulging with loyalty cards, membership cards, credit cards and other pieces of plastic. It seems sometimes one could use a second wallet or handbag just for the ever-growing number of cards.

Mobile technology vendor Cerado Inc. believes there’s a market for a niche mobile solution to ease management and carrying of loyalty cards. It has introduced Scanaroo, an iPhone application that enables consumers to take close-up pictures of loyalty cards and store and organize the images. The goal is not to have to carry loyalty cards at all, using the iPhone, instead.

After a card has been photographed and stored in the Scanaroo library, a consumer can read the number of the card to a cashier or, in some cases, let the cashier scan the card’s bar code image directly on the smartphone. Some types of bar code readers can scan from a computer-based image; others cannot.

“Mobile phones and Scanaroo today do for loyalty and other cards what the iPod did years ago for CDs,” says Christopher Carfi, CEO of Cerado. “It used to be you’d grab a half-dozen CDs on your way out and hope you had enough and the best ones for the day. Then the iPod came along and you could have every CD you owned on one, small mobile device. The iPod was transformational technology. And so are mobile phones. In this case, it’s Scanaroo carrying all your cards on one, small mobile device.”

Related:

InternetRetailer

Here’s a link to Jordan’s side of the story, which we think was pretty-much spot on.

The key graf:

This is really the foundation of why we built the app, and it derives directly from Doc Searls’ drive with ProjectVRM, which has a stated goal of creating “tools of independence and engagement” for the customer side of the business relationship.

That said, Crook really grokked that what we’re trying to do with Scanaroo provides a benefit for both parties.

I saw this tweet today from @FitMenu which said “I’ve turned down loyalty programs to avoid that one more thing to carry,” and Crook noted that “often times, loyalty cards, gift cards and membership cards are not used on a daily basis,” which is exactly right, because it’s currently a hot pain to carry them all around. So, the retailers win, too, by always having the opportunity to have their card easily available.

Related:

Cerado Launches Loyalty Card Organization App (Mobile Marketer)

(actual screen shot)

N.B. Please note that after this alpha, we swapped out some of the icons in the tab bar using icons by Joseph Wain / glyphish.com, which totally rock and are under a (CC)-attribution license.  We like Glyphish a lot.

Instead, I pulled out my phone, brought up the appropriate card, filled in all the information right there, and handed the completed form back to my son’s teacher.  Total time: 30 seconds.  Total hassle: zero.

The funny bit came when the receptionist wanted to get a copy of the card.  We looked at each other, laughed, and I handed her my iPhone, which she summarily put face-down on the copier.  Worked like a charm.