Automated communication systems are not only available to big corporations, but also to small and medium-size companies. The Bar Code is a clear example of this.

A Bar Code identifies any product, service, or company, uniquely, in Guatemala and in the rest of the world. Specifically, it uniquely portrays, in a series of bars and parallel spaces, each product. It is the language that has been created so that optical reading devices or scanners can decipher the product code.

There are several classification codes. In Guatemala, the most common are the EAN (International Article Numbering Association) and the UPC (Universal Product Code), which are based on the following principle: the code must identify, not classify.

The UPC standard is regulated in the United States by the UCC (Universal Code Council). The Guatemalan Codification Institute (IGC), based on an agreement with the UCC, can assign a UPC code to Guatemalan companies who wish to export their products to the United States and Canada.

The Bar Code is the way to enter information into a computer. In a series of lines and spaces, it is possible to store a huge amount of information which can be captured automatically with the help of a scanner. A product's code is unique and is, therefore, an access key to the computer's files.