Kodak digital imaging strategy, part 2: alliances, standards, open licensing.

Alliances, standards, open licensing

On March 28, under the direction of its new ceo George Fisher, Kodak staged a gala press event in San Francisco called "Picturing the Digital Age," during which it unveiled its new digital imaging strategy and a series of new products intended to further this strategy.

We covered the product-specific part of the Kodak announcements in last month's issue of this report (see Vol. 9, No. 8.) That article includes details about the DC 40 digital camera, the XLS 8400 PS printer and Build-It software for those wishing to write Portfolio II-format Photo CDs at Mac and Windows workstations. It also touches on other steps Kodak is taking to open up and breathe new life into Photo CD and our initial take on how these products are positioned within the framework of Kodak's digital imaging strategy.

We turn now to a look at the strategy itself, which is gradually being unveiled in more detail. Kodak's strategy encompasses five key points:

* Alliances with industry leaders;

* Open licensing for the Photo CD Image Pac format;

* Development of imaging standards with other companies;

* Increased accessibility of digital technology (meaning easier to use and lower priced); and

* Development of integrated imaging system solutions.

Together, the points have a single objective: to deliver on Kodak's vision of a digital imaging future in which users at all levels of the market -- from graphics and imaging professionals and business, small office, home office (soho) users and eventually even general consumers -- can work with digital pictures easily and inexpensively.

Alliances, product agreements

To help it execute its new strategy, Kodak has formed a series of strategic alliances with companies in the computer, telecommunications, consumer electronics and print-for-pay marketplaces. It is through these alliances and product codevelopment agreements that Kodak expects to be able to deliver digital imaging products and technology to customers at all levels of the market.

Adobe: Photo cd and kcms. For graphics and imaging professionals, Kodak announced it will be working more closely with Adobe to develop fuller support for Photo CD in both Adobe Photoshop and PageMaker. For example, a future version of Photoshop will be able to write as well as read images in the Photo CD Image Pac format (in …