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NPD Group Announces Info Sharing Agreement with Adorama

Jackie Augustine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:13 +0000

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, JANUARY 30, 2012– The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, today announced a multi-year information sharing agreement with Adorama, a leading photo specialty retailer. Under the agreement, NPD receives point-of-sale data from Adorama, which will increase NPD’s tracking coverage of the imaging retail market and providing its partners with a more robust view of market activity. As a member of NPD’s retail panel Adorama will receive access to NPD’s information services for product categories such as digital cameras, imaging accessories, and consumer electronics. Adorama will become part of NPD’s panel in 2012.

“We are very pleased to be working with Adorama,” said Don Unser, group president, Retail Business Group, The NPD Group, Inc., “Working with Adorama will allow us to not only deepen our understanding of the digital imaging marketplace, but it will help us deliver a more comprehensive view of this ever-changing market.”

“Our new relationship with NPD will allow us to get a better understanding of the imaging market and to see what products are selling to which consumers and where they are making their purchases,” said Ahron Schachter, of Adorama. “We are further excited by the NPD insights, as it will aid us in more tightly targeted promotional campaigns,” added Brian Green vice president of marketing for Adorama.

About Adorama
As one of the nation’s largest photo and electronics retailer and supplier, , Adorama has served its customers’ technology and photographic needs for 33 years. It has recently expanded its service to include online photo education (the Adorama Learning Center and Adorama TV) programs that make it a unique customer resource. Adorama’s vast product offerings now encompass home entertainment, mobile computing, and professional audio, while its services include an in-house photo lab (AdoramaPix) and pro equipment rental (Adorama Rental Company), supported by knowledgeable staff and unbeatable pricing. Adorama is more than a camera store—it’s a one-stop shop for all your imaging, photo and technology needs. Visit Adorama.com.

InfoTrends Reveals Leading Trends Among Professional Photographers

Jackie Augustine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:21 +0000

Key Highlights:

Leading brands remain important to professional photographers.
Part-time professional photographers are becoming an influential demographic.
More professional photographers want photo and video capture on one device.

(Weymouth, MA) January 23, 2012…InfoTrends has uncovered emerging professional photographer trends and behaviors in its Digital Imaging and Professional Photographers: 2011 Survey report. This report reveals equipment ownership, photo capture and printing habits, videography behaviors, internet and software usage, and photo merchandise offerings of professional photographers. This report also discusses current and future trends in the pro photography market, and offers advice that digital camera vendors can leverage.

Build your brand

Professional photographers demonstrate a high degree of brand loyalty. When survey participants were asked what influenced the selection of their newest DILC, over 64% cited brand reputation. In addition, over half chose the same brand as their old digital SLR because they wanted to continue using their lenses. “High-quality camera bodies and lenses, as well as a network of service and support providers, goes a long way in establishing a strong brand reputation among professionals,” commented InfoTrends group director Ed Lee. Professional photographers have strong brand preferences towards the leading camera, software, and accessories vendors, and printing and online services. Once a professional photographer has a positive experience with a brand, they will likely stick to it.

Acknowledge differences between full-time and part-time photographers

InfoTrends highlights an interesting difference between full-time and part-time professional photographers. Full-time professional photographers tend to use very advanced equipment and are more photo-active than their part-time counterparts. Part-time professional photographers’ needs are more aligned with photo hobbyists, reading similar trade magazines, using similar cameras, and taking a comparable amount of pictures. Because these demographics are so different, hardware, software, and service vendors should keep different needs and usage patterns in mind when developing marketing initiatives.

Convenience is key

Video is becoming an added service that professional photographers are offering to their clients. Among these professional photographers, the greatest percentage is using DILCs rather than a professional video camera to capture video. Professional photographers value the convenience of using a single device for photo and video capture, and DSLR vendors should take advantage of this development by enhancing camera video capabilities. Professional photographers should be able to easily toggle back and forth between photo and video settings without compromising the quality of either setting.

InfoTrends’ Digital Imaging and Professional Photographers: 2011 Survey report is available immediately for purchase. For more information visit InfoTrends’ online store or contact Stephanie Tose at +1 781 616 2103 or email stephanie_tose@infotrends.com.

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

InfoTrends Identifies Consumers’ Evolving Needs in Social Networking

Jackie Augustine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:00:32 +0000

Key Highlights:

80% of social network users shoot digital video at least occasionally
Users expect to be able to utilize social networking sites (including photo/video uploading, sharing, viewing, and commenting capabilities) from a mobile device.
Nearly 85% of social network users believe that high-resolution photo storage is an important feature in a social network

(Weymouth, MA) January 23, 2012… InfoTrends has recently released its new study, 2011 U.S. Social Network and Photo/Video Sharing Survey. For the third consecutive year, InfoTrends has captured a new snapshot of social networking activities. This report details those findings and considers how things have changed over previous years. It evaluates how regular users of social networking sites differ from non-users, explores how consumers are leveraging social networks, and discusses the general photo and video activities that are being performed on these sites. Organizers of social networking and photo sharing sites can use these insights to better prepare themselves for consumers’ evolving expectations.

Make photo and video sharing easy

Photo and video uploading should be simple and easy to use with quick uploading/downloading times and safe storage. Consumers are more likely to utilize photo and video sharing options if they do not require a long or difficult process. Another important factor to consider when simplifying this process is the use of mobile devices. “Particularly among younger social network users, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are being used to capture more and more photos and videos,” explains InfoTrends Associate Director Alan Bullock. “Those users will demand easy access and simple uploading, viewing, and sharing, regardless of the device being used”.

Consumers want high-resolution photo/video storage

When asked how important it was for full-size images to be stored on social networking sites, nearly 85% of respondents indicated that it was at least “somewhat important,” and more than half of those considered it to be “very” or “extremely important”. “Online services should offer high-resolution photo storage because this is what consumers want,” comments Bullock. “Furthermore, the ability to access high-resolution photos also creates the opportunity to sell a broader range of prints and photo merchandise. Interestingly, a number of consumers said that they use social networks as their primary source of photo storage, and for them, high-resolution is important whether they realize it or not.”

Don’t forget video storage and sharing options

Among survey respondents, regular social network users tend to capture more photos and videos than non-users. Today’s digital cameras, smartphones, and most tablets offer quality video capture, and nearly 80% of users reported shooting digital video at least occasionally. It is important for social networks to offer both photo and video sharing capabilities to their users.

InfoTrends’ 2011 U.S. Social Network and Photo/Video Sharing Survey report is available immediately for purchase. For more information visit InfoTrends’ online store or contact Stephanie Tose at +1 781 616 2103 or stephanie_tose@infotrends.com.

Photobucket Survey Reveals Spike in Mobile Video & Fanatical Mobile App Usage during 2011 Holiday Season

Jackie Augustine — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:46:04 +0000

Latest consumer survey, supported by data from Photobucket’s 100 million users, reveals trends in online photo and video capturing behavior throughout the holidays

Denver, CO – January 31, 2012 – Photobucket Corporation, the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service, today announced results from its company-sponsored 2011 Holiday Photo Usage survey. Responses from more than 2,200 survey participants, as well as data garnered from Photobucket’s 100 million users and their nine and a half billion image uploads, helped to illustrate the current attitudes and habits of those capturing photos and videos throughout the 2011 holiday season. Among the findings are that video uploads via mobile devices are increasing, and digital camera use has generally decreased, except for important holiday pictures.

Mobile Video Popularity Increases

According to the survey, consumers used mobile devices to capture video during the recent holidays at an unprecedented rate. In fact, of those surveyed, 80 percent took video via a mobile device at least once, and half used a mobile device to record video daily or multiple times per day.

This is an increase from the Photobucket Summer 2011 survey where only 59 percent of participants used mobile devices for video at least once and 25 percent used mobile devices for video multiple times per day. Although the time of year and the holidays are a factor, the trend is indicative of the overall rising popularity of mobile devices for video.

Photobucket’s internal data further supports this claim; video uploads to Photobucket.com have more than doubled in the past year.

Fanatical Use in Mobile Photo Apps Growing

Data from the 2011 summer survey suggested that there was a high threshold for adoption of mobile apps, but once adopted, there was enthusiastic use; this assertion was again supported in the recent survey. Although 43 percent of respondents to the 2011 holiday survey indicated they have yet to try a mobile app for photos, those who use mobile apps at least once, if not multiple times per day doubled to 42 percent, up from 20 percent in the summer survey.

This enthusiasm is further supported by Photobucket’s internal data, which shows that mobile app use has increased by 64 percent since the launch of Snapbucket, Photobucket’s second mobile app that enables users to “snap” photos from their mobile device, personalize those photos through unique filters, effects, vignettes and frames, and then easily share with their social community.

“We saw explosive growth in mobile in 2011; in fact, we topped 10 million mobile downloads to end the year,” said Munro. “With our integrated platform, we have uniquely positioned Photobucket to bring together the ease of mobile with the creativity and permanence of the web. In the coming year, we look forward to furthering our leadership in the mobile space.”

Digital Camera Use Falters But Still Has a Role

The 2011 holiday survey showed a significant decrease in the number of consumers reporting use of digital cameras for capturing the majority of their images throughout the season, down from 82 percent in the 2010 holiday survey to 64 percent in the 2011 holiday survey. However, 38 percent reported that they switched back to a digital camera for some holiday images. This may indicate that although overall digital camera use is declining, these devices still serve a purpose, perhaps for capturing what consumers consider their most important images.

Centralized Organization on Rise

Over the past year, the number of choices for capturing, sharing and storing photos online has grown extensively; however, despite consumers’ tendency to fragment their online photo storage, survey results show a trend toward consolidation of digital memories.

In fact, the survey revealed that only 33 percent of respondents had images on three or more sites; well down from 50 percent in the Photobucket Summer 2011 survey and 52 percent in last year’s holiday survey. Those reporting images on more than five sites have declined as well, from nine percent in both previous surveys, to just under six percent in the most recent holiday survey.

“The explosive growth in the photo-sharing market has shown how popular the market really is. Unfortunately, this growth has also overwhelmed people with choices for sharing and storing images,” said Tom Munro, CEO of Photobucket. “We are happy to see a trend toward consolidation; consumers, after trying multiple options, desire a single place in which they can store and share the story of their life in photos and video. Photobucket strives to be that resource for them to easily save, edit, create and manage all of their photos and video for life.”

Holiday Memories through Photo-Sharing

Other interesting results from the 2011 holiday survey include:

Sharing holiday pictures on social media sites is up:
- Year-over-year, growth went from 57 percent to 80 percent
Use of images on holiday cards continues to be very popular:
- 41 percent used an image for their holiday card
- 58 percent of those with pets included them in the image on their holiday card
Popularity of photo-sharing sites also remains high:
- 83 percent of consumers report storing their holiday images online

Photobucket has provided an Infographic that further explores the survey results as well as additional data garnered from Photobucket’s 100 million users.

How the Survey Was Conducted

The 2011 Post Holiday survey was conducted in January 2012. Results from 2,227 respondents were recorded.

To create a free Photobucket account, users can visit http://photobucket.com or find the Photobucket Mobile Application and Snapbucket app available in the app store on all major smartphone platforms. Photobucket supports Mobile Web, iPhone, Android based devices, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7.

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About Photobucket

Photobucket is the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service. With over 100 million registered members, Photobucket users upload over four million images and videos per day from the Web and connected digital devices. Photobucket hosts, preserves and protects photos and videos while bringing members the very best browsing, sharing and editing experiences. In addition to uploading and sharing with friends and family on the Photobucket site, users can also instantly share memories across all of the most popular social networks, instant messenger applications, through email, and from their mobile phones. Photobucket’s headquarters are in Denver, Colorado with a regional office in San Francisco, California. For the latest feature announcements and news, please visit the Photobucket press blog at http://blog.photobucket.com/photobucket_press.

Consumer Reports: Improving Consumer Outlook

Jackie Augustine — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:30:16 +0000

From Media Post’s Research Brief

Monday, Jan. 23, 2012

The consumer’s outlook is improving, according to the January Consumer Reports Index, a measure of overall consumer financial health. The study reports that stress levels have diminished, financial difficulties have moderated compared to past months, and the strong retail performance of the holiday season is an important marker that Americans may be willing to engage and spend once again.

The Consumer Reports Index captures respondents’ attitudes, asking if they are feeling better or worse off than a year ago. When the index is greater than 50, more consumers are feeling positive about their situation. When it is below 50, more consumers are feeling worse. The Sentiment Index can vary from a high of 100 to a low of 0.

The study, which measures how consumers are doing financially versus a year ago, was up from last month (45.4) to 48.2:

The most optimistic consumers were ages 18 to 34, and households earning $100,000 or more
The most pessimistic consumers were those in households earning less than $50,000 and people ages 65 and older

Past 30-day job gains (6.1%) outpaced job losses (4.8%). However, the improvements in employment were not broad-based. Women, those over the age of 34, and lower- income Americans, in households earning less than $50,000, have lost more jobs than they have gained

The index of both the proportion of consumers that have faced difficulties, as well as the number of hurdles they have encountered, has remained virtually unchanged for the fourth straight month registering at 50.4 compared to 49.9 in December.

The Next 30-Day Retail Index, reflecting planned spending for January, was down to 7.9 compared to 12.7 last month due to the post-holiday slump. December’s retail growth was led by strong sales in personal electronics at 35.8%, up from 31.4% last month, says the report.

The Sentiment Index for January (48.2) was up from last month (45.4). Though still in negative territory, there is reason to believe with continued improvement in employment that it will break through to positive territory (above 50) within the next couple of months.

Respondents age 18-34 and households with income of $100K or more remained the most optimistic consumers, while the most pessimistic consumers were households with income less than $50,000 and respondents age 65 and older:

Ages 18-34 were up slightly (55.2) from the previous month (54.5).
Households with income of $100,000 or more (57.9) were up for a second straight month from 56.1 in December and 52.8 in November.
Households with income less than $50,000 (42.9) rose from 40.3 the prior month.
Those who are age 65 and older (40.9) were up from 36.3 in December.

The Trouble Tracker Index at 50.4 remained virtually unchanged from 49.9 the prior month. Despite the stability in the index overall compared to last month, the proportion of Americans reporting they have been unable to afford medical bills or medications in the past 30 days was up substantially to 15.7% from 12.8% last month, which in turn was the most prevalent consumer trouble in January.

Lower-income households, earning less than $50,000 a year, have been disproportionately affected. In the past 30 days: 22.7% were unable to afford medical bills or medications; 15.0% missed payment on a major bill (not a mortgage); and, 11.9% lost or reduced health-care coverage.

The next 30 day Retail Index at 7.9 was down from last month (12.7), but was on par with last January (8.3). The January slump reflects declines across all categories, but most notably personal electronics, dropping to 16.3% from 31.5% a month earlier:

Among non-index categories, past 30-day purchases, reflecting December activity, were flat versus last month for new cars at 2.6%, used cars at 4.5% and home purchasing at 2.4%.
Purchasing over the next 30 days, reflecting planned January activity, remains unchanged for new cars (1.8%), used cars (3.3%), and homes (1.1%).

The Retail Index represents the proportion of respondents that made a purchase in major home appliances, small home appliances, major home electronics, personal electronics, and major yard and garden equipment.

The Stress Index at 56.0 is at its lowest level of the past year. Those feeling the most stress were women (58.4), those in households earning less than $50,000 (57.5), and those living in the North East (58.1).

For more information on the Consumer Reports Index, please visit here.

Adobe Study Reveals Tablet Users Were Biggest Online Spenders in 2011

Jackie Augustine — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:47:25 +0000

Study Indicates Tablet Visitors Spent 21 Percent More Per Purchase in 2011 than Other Online Consumers

Adobe Digital Marketing Summit 2012 – January 19, 2012 12:04 AM Eastern Time

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) today announced findings from its inaugural Adobe® Digital Marketing Insights report, designed to provide marketing, e-commerce, and retail executives with critical intelligence about digital marketing. The study evaluated how purchasing behavior is impacted by the device consumers used to visit retail websites. In the study, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, Adobe analyzed 16.2 billion anonymous visits to the websites of more than 150 top U.S. retailers. Results showed that, during the 2011 holiday season and throughout 2011, tablet visitors spent more per purchase than visitors using smartphones or traditional desktops and laptops, suggesting that tablet visitors were the most valuable online customers in 2011.

“This study shows the importance of optimizing your 2012 e-tail strategy for tablet visitors to avoid the risk of underserving a highly-profitable, fast-growing customer segment.”

Key Report Findings Included

Tablet visitors spent 54 percent more than smartphone visitors and 21 percent more per purchase than desktop/laptop visitors.
Tablet visitors were nearly three times more likely to buy products and services online than smartphone visitors and were nearly as likely to purchase as desktop/laptop visitors.

“Adobe has long championed the need for retailers to optimize their sites for mobile visitors, and the results of this study indicate that tablet devices have become an absolutely critical new sales channel that marketers must address head-on,” said Brad Rencher, senior vice president and general manager, Adobe Digital Marketing Business. “This study shows the importance of optimizing your 2012 e-tail strategy for tablet visitors to avoid the risk of underserving a highly-profitable, fast-growing customer segment.”

Optimizing websites for mobile devices, such as smartphones, is now becoming common practice. However, with the emergence of the iPad and Android™ tablets, companies now face additional mobile optimization requirements in order to provide enticing online shopping experiences. If retailers treat mobile and tablet optimization strategies alike, they may fail to leverage the power of tablet visitors, which the study suggests, convert nearly three times more frequently than smartphone visitors.

Why Tablet Visitors Spend More

The Adobe study suggests that demographics of tablet visitors, as well as the flexibility of the overall tablet user experience, contribute to higher tablet visitor profitability. Tablet visitors are typically males between the ages of 18-34 years old and tend to be more affluent than other online shoppers. Higher income levels among tablet owners is just one part of the story. Tablet users also have higher usage rates over the weekend, when there is more time to shop online.

Download the full Adobe Digital Marketing Insights report here or at CMO.com.

For more industry insight from Adobe and top digital marketers and advertisers from around the world, attend Adobe Digital Marketing Summit 2012. The annual event will convene thousands of marketers, advertisers, publishers, agencies and developers in Salt Lake City, Utah from March 20-23, 2012. To register, visit the conference site. For the latest event news and information, follow and join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

About the Adobe Digital Marketing Suite

The Adobe Digital Marketing Suite offers an integrated and open platform for online business optimization, a strategy for using customer insight to drive innovation throughout the business and enhance marketing efficiency. The Suite consists of integrated applications to collect and unleash the power of customer insight to optimize customer acquisition, conversion and retention efforts as well as the creation and distribution of content. For example, using the Suite, marketers can identify the most effective marketing strategies and ad placements as well as create relevant, personalized and consistent customer experiences across digital marketing channels, such as onsite, display, email, social, video and mobile. The Suite enables marketers to make quick adjustments, automate certain customer interactions and better maximize marketing ROI, which, ultimately, can positively impact the bottom line.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

© 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe and the Adobe logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

InfoTrends Research Highlights Healthy Consumer Photo Activity – Traditional Photography Strong but Mobile Imaging Gaining in Popularity

Jackie Augustine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:39:38 +0000

Key highlights:

Mobile Phones are a serious threat to digital camera use.
Number of photos shared via the internet is on the rise.
Photo taking behaviors with digital cameras remains strong.
Over a quarter of camera owners plan to purchase a new camera within the next 12 months.

(Weymouth, MA) January 12, 2012…InfoTrends announces the release of the 2011 Digital Camera End-User Survey report which tracks changes in consumers’ photographic behaviors, opinions and product/accessory ownership. The study considers the ways in which user demographics are changing, highlights the segments that vendors should be targeting in various marketing efforts, and discovers what consumers are doing with their digital photos. InfoTrends research indicates that digital cameras are now fully-entrenched in the mainstream market. Since technologies are continually changing, staying abreast of industry trends is a critical part of any vendor’s marketing plan.

Digital cameras need to get connected

Mobile phones have become very popular picture taking devices. In 2008, mobile phones with cameras were cited by only 18% of respondents as the camera used most often but that percentage has doubled over the last 3 years. One reason for this increase is because mobile phones make online sharing effortless. The number of photos shared online continues to increase and consumers want a one-step sharing process. As camera phones and smartphones quickly become “the camera in our pocket,” they are stealing photo taking share away from traditional digital cameras. According to InfoTrends’ Senior Research Analyst, Carrie Sylvester, “Because mobile phones with cameras are connected devices, they make the task of sharing photos with friends and family a snap. Digital camera vendors need to improve the sharing scenario and the best way to do this is to have built in connectivity.”

Consumers need a reason to upgrade

“If consumers do not see a need to upgrade, they will likely continue to use their existing cameras”, explains Sylvester. “Camera vendors must clearly illuminate the benefits of their latest offerings so consumers appreciate the benefits of investing in a new camera.” Certain features such as connectivity, GPS, rugged/waterproof features, increased zoom, and the ability to accommodate interchangeable lenses all serve as good motivation for camera upgrade purchases. Digital camera vendors should also make sure that their marketing messages are wide spread in order to educate a wide range of consumers and make them aware of new offerings.

InfoTrends’ 2011 Digital Camera End-User Survey report is available immediately for purchase. For more information visit InfoTrends’ online store or contact Stephanie Tose at +1 781 616 2103 or email stephanie_tose@infotrends.com.

I3A Members to Present Camera Phone Image Quality Papers at Electronic Imaging Conference, January 24

Jackie Augustine — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:24:24 +0000

12 Additional CPIQ Research Papers Available for Download

SPIE Photonics West 2012

WAKEFIELD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A, the leading global association for the imaging industry; http://www.i3a.org) announced today that two papers arising from its Camera Phone Image Quality Initiative (CPIQ) will be delivered by CPIQ participants at the IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging 2012 conference, to be held in Burlingame, California, January 22-26. Both sessions will take place on January 24.

“Toward a quantitative visual noise evaluation of sensors and image processing pipes”

I3A’s CPIQ Initiative has been working to develop a standardized means of measuring and communicating image quality by producing a complete set of image quality testing metrics and methodologies, enabling a consumer-oriented image quality rating system. The rating system will provide a tool for translating and distilling the complex set of measurements into a rating that consumers can quickly and easily understand, to aid in selection of camera phones.

CPIQ’s work to date has been broadly influential in the scientific and standards communities and has yielded a number of published papers during the last several years. The CPIQ group will hold a meeting for its participants before the start of the Electronic Imaging conference; for more information about joining the Initiative and attending this meeting, contact Donna Cohn, donnac@i3a.org.

“Development of the I3A CPIQ spatial metrics,” presented by Henrik Eliasson of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and co-authored by Donald Baxter of STMicroelectronics Ltd., Frédéric Cao of DxO Labs and Jonathan Phillips of the Eastman Kodak Company, describes the development of a specific group of spatial measurements within the CPIQ set of subjectively correlated image quality metrics.. Contained in this group are the edge acutance, visual noise and texture acutance metrics, which are all dependent on the spatial content of the specific scene being analyzed.

“Calibration and adaptation of ISO visual noise for camera phone image quality assessment,” presented by Donald Baxter and co-authored by Andrew Murray of STMicroelectronics, describes the motivation behind the choice of a visual noise metric, why the characteristics of cell phone cameras necessitate adaptation of an ISO visual noise protocol, and the specific calibration of the adapted visual noise metric.

“These two papers are the latest examples of the significant contribution made by I3A’s CPIQ initiative to furthering the scope of image quality assessment, particularly in the area of subjective analysis,” said I3A President Lisa Walker. “The breadth and depth of CPIQ papers’ topics and their presentation in prestigious venues such as the Electronic Imaging conference demonstrate the initiative’s high level of scientific achievement. We are pleased to see these important papers presented to the public, and we will welcome additional CPIQ participants who share our commitment to image quality research to join our efforts.”

Published research by CPIQ experts includes:

“Camera motion and mobile imaging”

“Image quality quantification in camera phone applications”

“Softcopy quality ruler method: Implementation and validation”

“Correlating objective and subjective evaluation of texture appearance with applications to camera phone imaging”

“Interaction of image noise, spatial resolution, and low contrast fine detail preservation in digital image”

“Slider-adjusted softcopy ruler for calibrated image quality assessment”

“Measuring texture sharpness of a digital camera”

“Applying image quality in cell phone cameras: lens distortion”

“Validating a texture metric for camera phone images using a texture-based softcopy attribute ruler”

“Dead leaves model for measuring texture quality on a digital camera”

“Texture-based measurement of spatial frequency response using the dead leaves target: extensions, and application to real camera systems”

“Toward a quantitative visual noise evaluation of sensors and image processing pipes”

Links to download the individual papers, some of which are available at no charge, are on the I3A website. The two Electronic Imaging conference papers will be added after they have been presented.

About the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A)

I3A’s vision is to enable the use of imaging to simplify and enrich people’s lives through visual experiences that connect generations, communities, information and services. I3A drives the global imaging ecosystem toward this vision by bringing members together to create standards and collaborate on initiatives that advance shared interests, foster growth, and open pathways to new markets.

Information about I3A can be found at http://www.i3a.org or by phone at +1 914-285-4933. For information on joining I3A, please write or call Noel Mareno, noelm@i3a.org, +1 914.285.4933 x6; companies based in Europe can contact Andrea de Polo, + 39 347-488-3223, andread@i3a.org.

Global Consumer Tech Device Spending to Surpass $1 Trillion in 2012

Jackie Augustine — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:05:57 +0000

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The latest forecast figures from GfK Digital World, produced in partnership with Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), reveal global spending on consumer technology devices will surpass $1 trillion in 2012 for the first time, increasing by 5% over 2011’s figure of $993 billion.

On January 8th at the 2012 International CES, GfK Boutique Research and the Consumer Electronics Association discussed market trends within the Consumer Electronics (CE) industry. Using the latest global market data and forecasts from GfK Digital World, the presentation analyzed key product trends within a global market context; highlighting the importance of mobile connected devices as a key driver of spending growth. Additionally, the presentation addressed the importance of developing markets in driving growth in global spending.

“Despite slowing growth in developed markets, robust growth in emerging markets, particularly Emerging APAC* and Central & Eastern Europe^, has helped sustain global spending in 2011 at the relatively healthy level of 8%”, according to Steve Bambridge, Business Director for GfK Boutique Research.

Smartphones to remain the key growth driver in 2012

GfK Digital World estimates and forecasts show that booming global demand for smartphones made these devices the key spending growth driver in 2011 and that this is set to continue in 2012. Additionally, sales of tablet PCs, which are estimated to have reached $39 billion this year, are predicted to show a strong double digit increase in 2012.

“Today, consumers from every corner of the globe crave the latest tech innovations,” said Steve Koenig, Director, Industry Analysis for Consumer Electronics Association. “Rising consumer demand for mobile connected devices underpins the growth in global retail sales of CE we’re projecting this year.”

About GfK Digital World:

GfK Digital World is produced by GfK Boutique Research in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association. It brings together global sales data, estimates and forecasts for dozens of consumer technology devices and includes key regional break-outs. GfK Digital World is updated semi-annually and marketed by GfK Boutique Research and CEA.

About GfK Boutique Research:

GfK Boutique Research is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GfK Retail & Technology. With offices in Boston, London, and Hong Kong, GfK Boutique is dedicated to adding value to GfK POS data, producing forecasts, supply chain metrics, and other proprietary analysis

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $190 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org and www.DeclareInnovation.com.

*Emerging APAC comprises developing markets across the across the Asia Pacific region, including China and India

^ Central & Eastern Europe includes Russia and other CIS countries

The NPD Group: U.S. Consumer Electronics Holiday Sales Revenue Drops 6 Percent From 2010

Jackie Augustine — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:40:30 +0000

What began as a difficult year in the consumer electronics business ended the same way, according to leading market research company The NPD Group’s Weekly Tracking Service*. Total consumer technology sales (excluding cell phones, tablets, e-readers, and video games) fell 5.9 percent to around $9.5 billion for the 5 weeks ending December 24**, a slight improvement over the 6.2 percent decline in 2010.

Port Washington, New York (PRWEB) January 08, 2012

Despite the gloom over the PC and TV marketplaces, sales for those two core categories dipped just 4 percent in dollars over 2010, and unit volumes were essentially flat on a year-over-year basis.

“2010 was the first year in quite awhile where the real drags on the core CE marketplace were not TVs and PCs,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “Revenue for those two segments outperformed while the rest of the market dropped by more than 7 percent. The accelerated rate of decline in older technology categories such as DVD, GPS and MP3 players put a ceiling on how well the industry could perform during the holiday.”

Desktop PCs posted a 2 percent unit volume increase but it wasn’t enough to offset the 5 percent decline in notebook sales which brought overall PC sales down 4 percent. ASPs jumped $9 year-over-year to $575 continuing last year’s trend of increasing holiday pricing levels. Windows-based all-in-one (AIO) PCs increased 135 percent and accounted for almost 20 percent of all Windows desktop unit sales volume.

Big screen TVs gave a big boost to the flat-panel TV market, thanks to unit sales of TVs with screen sizes 50 inches and higher increasing by 32 percent. Approximately one-in-six flat-panel TVs sold were above 50 inches and the share of flat-panel TVs greater than 60 inches more than tripled. Meanwhile 32 inch TVs, the market’s largest single size segment, saw revenue drop almost 9 percent and average prices fall below $300, to $277. 3D TVs, the industry’s most maligned segment, saw unit volumes soar by more than 100 percent and TVs with 3D capability accounted for more than one in every five dollars spent on TVs during the holiday.

Under the TV devices was another bright spot for the industry. Sales revenue for home theater systems increased 10 percent, receiver revenue increased by 3.5 percent and stand-alone streaming devices saw a 65 percent increase in revenue while stand-alone speaker systems for portable devices saw revenue increase almost 10 percent.

“It was truly a mixed bag this year,” said Baker. “Many newer technologies posted strong gains, although most of those products, such as streaming devices, still generate volumes too small to impact the overall market trend. These newer technologies are likely to be the ones to watch in 2012 as the industry continues to search for high growth opportunities to replace aging product segments.”

*NPD’s weekly POS information is derived from a subset panel of retailers that also contribute to NPD’s projected monthly POS panel.
**Holiday sales include sales from November 20 – December 24, 2011

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