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(Weymouth, MA) September, 11 2000... Wireless imaging is an emerging frontier in the digital photography and wireless telecom services markets, according to a new study from InfoTrends Research Group, Inc. These solutions promise to allow users to send photos to anyone, anywhere, at the point of capture. New developments are underway now that will allow wireless imaging solutions to begin to proliferate in 2001, putting this nascent market on the edge of rapid growth worldwide. The market will develop at different rates around the world. The first wireless digital camera will begin shipping in the U.S. by the end of the year. Meanwhile markets in Japan and Europe are further along, for various reasons including a more advanced wireless network infrastructure. In Japan, NTT DoCoMo's I-Mode service, which allows users to exchange images from their Internet-connected cell phones, has achieved rapid penetration since its launch in February 1999. By 2002, nearly a million users in the U.S. are projected to have wireless photography solutions, and unit shipments for wireless imaging solutions are expected to grow over 400% per year through 2005. A host of challenges still stand in the way of wireless imaging, including low bandwidth over wireless networks, lack of global standards in the wireless communications market, and lack of color displays in hardware. In spite of these barriers, many vendors are eyeing the global opportunity presented by wireless imaging. Hardware vendors are creating new types of image capture devices - from wireless Internet-connected digital cameras to lens attachments for mobile Internet appliances. Software vendors and online photo services are optimizing their solutions for handheld platforms. Perhaps most importantly, a host of companies are attempting to solve the problem of how to optimize and deliver images for viewing on multiple platforms. "Imaging companies are not the only players aware of the opportunities presented by wireless imaging," says Kristy Holch, principal at InfoTrends Research Group, Inc. "Telecommunications infrastructure players and carriers are anxious to drive demand for bandwidth, and images will be a primary consumer of bandwidth in the coming years. Furthermore, wireless imaging connects users with the Internet, driving revenues through areas like increased usage, Internet storage, and printmaking. Wireless imaging will allow service providers to extend the features and services they provide and thus enhance user loyalty." InfoTrends' new report, called Wireless Imaging Market Opportunity, provides a technical overview of the standards involved with wireless communications, describes the wireless imaging workflow, indicates the drivers and barriers to wireless imaging, and estimates the number of wireless imaging users in the U.S., Japan, Europe, and the ROW. The report also profiles companies that are already publicly playing in the wireless imaging space, including Agfa, Club Photo, FirePad, FlashPoint, IPIX, LightSurf, NTT DoCoMo, PhotoAccess, PhotoHighway, PhotoJet, PhotoNet, PhotoPoint, PictureIQ, Questra, Ricoh, and more. |
