A new digital dry-lab print solution for retail outlets marks the end of a 4-year transition, writes Tony Waltham in Singapore
Johns: `Most exciting event in 10 years.' |
Kodak last week introduced a retail photo printing solution intended to revitalise its Kodak Express shops and which serves as "a kick-off to the new digital Kodak" - completing a four-year transition in which it restructured from an analogue film company to become a digital company.
Last Wednesday, the company launched its Adaptive Picture Exchange (Apex) in the region, a modular dry-lab system that Kodak Asia Pacific consumer digital and imaging group marketing director Paul Johns said was "the most exciting event for the company in 10 years." He also indicated that a new M-series consumer digital camera with "breakthrough" new "smart capture" features would soon be introduced, while the company would also be soon introducing a new range of inkjet printers that would feature ink at half the price of current printers.
The Apex dry-lab was the showpiece last week at an event here that was being attended by some 175 to 200 Kodak Express outlet owners. It offers power and space savings as well as being scalable and flexible, while enabling Kodak Express outlets to offer new applications and features.
Available later this month, Kodak hopes that the Apex system will attract more customers to get their digital prints in a retail setting by offering features such as easy-to-create digital photobooks, or albums, and Photoshow DVDs which sets a series of still pictures to music by original artists.
Both these activities can be done interactively at kiosks that are part of the modular Apex system, and Johns said that an untrained consumer would be able to make a 50-picture photobook in less than five minutes. Similarly, a Photoshow DVD could be created and burned in less than 15 minutes.
Kodak's new modular Adaptive Picture Exchange (Apex) dry-lab. |
Thailand has 460 Kodak Express outlets, compared to 366 in Malaysia and 94 in Singapore, part of a total of 12,955 across Asia outside Japan, and Johns conceded that "the industry has to return to health again."
Retail photo-finishing businesses have been shaken by the rapid transition from film to digital photography, which really started to manifest itself in 2004 with the rapid uptake in digital cameras.
Citing survey data, Kodak's regional marketing director noted that prints made from digital cameras - regardless of where they were printed - were projected to overtake the number of prints made from film this year.
Camera phones to the rescue
However, in Asia a new source of digital prints is projected to soon overtake the output from digital cameras. This is the camera phone, and Asia leads the world in sales of these. In 2010, the number of camera phones expected to be sold in Asia is projected to be 1,547 million, which will be more than three times the number to be sold in Europe or in North America then.
Today, 13 per cent of households in Asia have a camera phone, while this should rise to 53 per cent by 2012 and 24 per cent will have a handset with a three megapixel or better camera, according to the survey, which also says that these camera phones will be ubiquitous and will be used like cameras.
Johns displayed a graph with three curves: The number of prints from film cameras, camera phones and digital still cameras (DSCs). Four years ago, camera phones accounted for "zero" prints, film generated 18,770 prints and DSCs just 910 million.
This year, the overall total had dropped to 10,459 prints, with DSCs in the lead (5,253 million prints versus 4,317 for film and 989 for camera phones).
However, in another four years' time the landscape should have changed dramatically, and the total is projected to be some 50 per cent more than this year, at 15,817 prints, with camera phone prints leading (8,054 million), DSCs next (6,925 million) and film trailing at 838 million.
Kodak is also actively working with handset manufacturers to include its software and CMOS technology to enhance the functionality of camera phones, Johns said, noting that Kodak was working with Motorola and Sony Ericsson, while he also indicated that there would soon be a "really big launch" soon by one of the majors with "Kodak inside."
The Apex dry-lab uses thermal technology and the dyes are delivered along with the XtraLife II media, which has laminate modulation technology, in a single cartridge. This offers two finishes, satin and glossy, in three sizes: 4 by 6in., 6 by 8in. and 5 by 7in. with a border. Additional output devices create the photobooks, picture movie DVDs or even posters, while there are no chemicals to dispose of, making the process non-polluting.
The equipment, which is network-ready so online services can be provided, has a small footprint and is said to be easy to train staff to use, while Apex uses between 70 and 90 per cent less power than a Kodak AgX Minilab. The modular nature means that scanners or additional kiosks can be easily added, and there are single or duplex print modules. A single unit can output up to 450 prints an hour, and by adding printing devices this can be scaled to a capacity of 2,250 prints an hour.
The modular Apex system includesKodak photo printers (models 7000 and 8800), a DL2100 duplex printer, and an Apex workstation with workflow software to manage orders.
Other optional equipment includes a Kodak picture kiosk rapid print scanner, an Epson 7880 poster printer, a Kodak F135 Plus film scanner and a CD/DVD writer/dispenser.
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