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31 March 2006

Can online photo sharing be free? 

Former director claims Kodak mislead customers on the quality of online photo sharing.
“A former employee has accused Eastman Kodak Co. of illegally tampering with the quality of customers' digital photos and making false advertising claims, according to a statement issued Wednesday (29 March 2006) by the former employee's attorney” reports DylanMcGrath, business editor at AP. A competing online photo printing service, FotoInsight of Cambridge, UK distances itself from unlimited, free online photo hosting. FotoInsight’s Managing Director Klaas Brumann states: “Providing quality prints for a few cents or pence does not combine with unlimited online storage of multi megabyte image files. FotoInsight only offers uncompressed, printing quality online archiving. We have always stated that this can only be maintained with an honest time limit.” 

According to FotoInsight, providing unlimited online photo sharing at print quality is unsustainable with ever larger digital camera image files. FotoInsight provides an online archive option with print orders only, limited to one month, after which users may pay for an extension. Klaas Brumann comments: “Not everything on the internet can be free. There are plenty of sites specializing in online photo sharing, which is a feasible service as long as there is a tap on the size. Ofoto's (Kodak) business idea to use print quality photo files for unlimited hosting is wrong”.

According to FotoInsight, providing photo sharing with free basic features is feasible if financed through the sale of add-on premium services or advertising, as long as the image files remain small. Such online photo sharing sites follow a very different business model from photo printing services like FotoInsight, which specialise in real photographic paper prints and photo gifts requiring print resolution jpegs. “FotoInsight has never understood how Ofoto could accept unlimited storage and online access of multi megabyte jpegs for unlimited time. With Kodak acquiring Ofoto they will have to deal with the accusation by their former director of engineering Maya Raber, to have planned to “irreversibly damage photos”.” FotoInsight’s Managing Director Klaas Brumann comments from Cambridge: “FotoInsight is proud to facilitate the sharing of photographic memories with a printed photo book or online, across geographic boundaries. Our services endeavour to provide long term quality solutions.”

Free for republishing. 373 words.


Contact information
FotoInsight Ltd.
Cambridge, CB4 1ZP, UK
Skype FotoInside
Tel. +44 8700 114911
Fax. +44 8715 601675







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