High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) is the name coined by Microsoft for its technology of encoding data in a 2D "barcode" using clusters of colored triangles instead of the square pixels traditionally associated with 2D barcodes. Data density is increased by using a palette of 4 or 8 colors for the triangles, although HCCB also permits the use of black and white when necessary.

A Microsoft Tag is essentially a machine readable web link, analogous to a URL shortening link: when read, the Tag application sends the HCCB data to a Microsoft server, which then returns the publisher's intended URL. The Tag reader then directs the user's mobile browser to the appropriate website.

You can create and deploy Tags, scan them with a single reader, analyze the results, and update the content anytime without changing the Tag. You can create custom Tags, tailor the consumer experience based on their location and mobile device, and deliver a wide range of content, from product details and videos to interactive games and apps.