14 DAY TRIAL // After being acquired by the UK Kodak Pension Plan, Kodak's photographic paper is now distributed by the newly created Kodak Alaris company.
According to AmateurPhotographer, the firm aims to double the photo printing rate in Western Europe by concentrating their resources on the ever-growing smartphone segment.
To make this a reality, Kodak Alaris is going to launch a new smartphone application that will allow its users to instantly order prints of their photos from their mobile phone with the utmost ease. The application is designed to place your orders without the need to get to a Kodak printing kiosk, thus streamlining the entire process.
Lee Palmer, Kodak Alaris's European general manager for Personalized Imaging, said that “There's going to be a whole generation who never buy a camera.... Smartphones - that's where the mass consumer is at.”
According to research firm Futuresource Consulting, West European photo printing rate currently stands at 2% and it’s going to become even lower if no action is taken to stop this trend.
At the same time, Palmer insisted that it's possible to increase the printing rate up to 4% if the company will focus on offering a printing solution for all smartphone users.
“At 4%, industry print projections move from decline to growth,” Palmer added. Moreover, the service will add to the already established Facebook and Instagram printing services that for the moment require its customers to visit a Kodak photo kiosk to place their orders.
The company is also planning to extend this printing services in the future to tablet computers. Although overall sales are down by 30%, Kodak Alaris reported that their professional film sales recorded a 15% increase in sales this year.
What do you think about the possibility to order photo prints directly from your smartphone? Let us know in the comments section below.