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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Camera-Phone Sales Expected to Outstrip Those of Digital and Film Cameras Combined
SAN FRANCISCO--Aug. 11, 2003--
Report Issued by Future Image, Sponsor of Digital Imaging Conference at Seybold San Francisco 2003
Traditional film cameras, already taking a backseat to their digital cousins, could end up being left by the economic roadside as cell phones with picture-taking functions continue grabbing the attention and wallets of consumers and businesspeople alike.
If the burgeoning trend continues, said industry analyst Tony Henning, by mid-2004, sales of so-called camera-phones, first introduced in this country in November 2002, could exceed the combined total sales of regular digital cameras and those using film.
"The forecast for 2003 for `pure-play' digital cameras is about 32 million or 35 million units sold worldwide," said Henning, editor of Future Image's Wireless Imaging information service. "For film cameras, excluding single-use disposables, there could be up to 60 million units sold. That adds up to about 95 million units.
"Sales of cell phones with cameras embedded could reach 50 million units and phones that have cameras as a separate attachment could see another 40 million units," he added. "So this year is probably a toss-up as to who sells more, but next year is no contest."
Henning, author of "The Camera-Phone Phenomenon" report, is among the speakers at the upcoming Seybold San Francisco 2003 set for Sept. 8-12, at the newly completed Moscone West. This year's event is the latest installment of the 22-year-old gathering 'of all things publishing,' and will feature some 10, two-day educational conferences, covering everything from Web content to technical drawings to how ink-on-paper printing will fit into an increasingly digital world.
In addition to his session on Mobile Imaging, Henning is leading discussions on image servers and digital rights management, which is meant to help individuals and organizations improve control over their electronic visual assets.
Seybold Seminars has been reinvented, said James M. Smith, vice president and general manager of Seybold Seminars, Publications & Consulting. The focus is on providing businesses and creative professionals with the information they need to succeed.
"We're very aware of the need for our sponsors and attendees to see a tangible return for participating in the event," Smith said. "We're providing a neutral forum for high-level decision makers to see the trends and conduct business. And discussions such as the conference on digital imaging, underscore Seybold Seminars' focus on the needs and direction of the marketplace."
Part of the challenge, said Alexis Gerard, president of Future Image, is showing executives that digital imaging is a valuable tool for business, as essential as the laptop computer and e-mail.
"When you're at a meeting and people capture the discussions on a white board, it's not part of the culture for participants to take a digital picture of the board," he said. "Yet, there's no simpler, cheaper way of capturing the information for recording purposes and to share them with colleagues."
The United States, said Henning, is again playing catch-up, especially relative to Japan, where "electronic gadgets are a way of life."
Camera-phones have been available in Japan for three years, Henning explained, adding that currently in that country, a cell phone without a camera is actually difficult to find. Japanese consumers are carrying more than 30 million camera-phones, he said, compared with less than two million in the United States and Canada.
"The big hurdle (in North America) is interoperability," Henning declared. "Right now, the sender and receiver of a cell-phone image have to be on the same network for instant, peer-to-peer messaging. The hurdle is not technical; it's economic and political.
"It comes down to money and territory," Henning added. "The various carriers have to decide how to divvy up the revenues."
For more information about the Future Image Digital Imaging Conference at Seybold San Francisco 2003, visit www.Seybold365.com.
About MediaLive International, Inc.
MediaLive International produces information technology tradeshows and conferences. MediaLive International's products range from the IT industry's largest exhibitions such as COMDEX and NetWorld+Interop to highly focused events featuring renowned educational programs, custom seminars and specialized vendor marketing programs. For more information about MediaLive International, visit www.medialiveintl.com.
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