Orlando – Kodak will showcase additions to its family of digital Kodak Picture Maker kiosks and a new strategy aimed at retailers who offer photo services at the PMA show this week.
The new Picture Maker Digital Station enables consumers to print photo quality pictures from digital camera media. According to Kodak, the company went with a simplified, modular approach to provide flexibility for retailers, giving them the ability to scale according to volume their photo offerings, and connect these photo offerings to a variety of imaging equipment through a common hardware and software platform.
The Picture Maker family includes three modular stations: the Picture Maker Order Station, Picture Maker Digital Station and Picture Maker Print Station.
The first unit, the Order Station, is for retailers with on-site digital labs. It enables consumers to preview and select their analog or digital images and print them to a retailer’s on-site digital lab system. If a retailer wants the ability to have their customer print digital images in just minutes, they can upgrade their Order Station to a Digital Station by adding a 4 x 6 printer.
If their customer has a need to scan and print images up to 8×10, a retailer can upgrade to a fully featured Print Station by adding a flatbed scanner and Kodak Photo Printer 8110. Each of these products in the Picture Maker family can be purchased individually, or a retailer can upgrade from one to the next as their business needs change
According to the company, the new kiosks represent a significant shift in Kodak’s kiosk approach. The software platform will feature Kodak Image Access Standard, an open architecture interface that enables connectivity to third party equipment, Web sites and applications, and in-store print fulfillment, providing retailers with greater choice in the products and services they can offer.
To support the new portfolio, Kodak launched an aggressive advertising campaign to drive consumer awareness of the Picture Maker brand. The company also rolled out Kodak Retail Solutions, a range of support options including sales and marketing, operational, and consultative services for retailers offering some form of print fulfillment. According to the company, a dedicated Kodak Category Sales Specialist (CSS) will work with a store to develop services and solutions from the ground up. It can involve site selection, custom lab layouts, Kodak Certification Programs and co-branding opportunities. In addition, the retailer can choose from a catalog of point-of-sale materials.
On the product end, Kodak introduced a USB-enabled Multi-Card Reader. The unit accepts five different memory formats: CompactFlash, MultiMedia Memory Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), SmartMedia and IBM Microdrive. The reader comes with Kodak Picture Software and will be available at a suggested retail price of $39.95 beginning March.
