I3A Kicks off Work on Common Picture Exchange Environment -- CPXe -- V2.0; New Features to Include Support for Transactions, Image Storage and Albums.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PMA 2004

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 13, 2004

The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading global association for the imaging industry, today announced an initiative to create Version 2.0 of its cutting-edge suite of specifications, CPXe, for the exchange of digital images. The announcement was made at I3A's press conference during the PMA 2004 event.

Based on an open-standard Web Services framework, CPXe enables the global transmission of digital pictures, order and commerce information between digital cameras, PCs, desktop software, Internet services, photo kiosks, digital minilabs and photofinishers -- regardless of the type of digital camera, device, PC brand, operating system, or photofinishing equipment used by service providers. By incorporating CPXe, photographic device and software vendors give their customers easy connection to a range of digital photography services. Released in February 2003, Version 1.0 of the CPXe specification is available for free download from the I3A Web site, www.i3a.org.

CPXe Version 2.0 will build on the foundation of Version 1.0 to incorporate important new features, such as access to storage services, support for composite products such as albums, greeting cards and calendars, and transaction logging to enable dynamic business-to-business transactions. I3A expects that Version 2.0 will be ready for release in the fourth quarter.

Participants in the development of CPXe have included I3A member companies Agfa-Gevaert, Beaufort Solutions, Canon USA, Digimarc, Eastman Kodak, Fuji Photo Film, Hewlett-Packard, Konica, Noritsu Koki, Olympus, Pixology, Shutterfly and Silverwire. New companies are now invited to join the CPXe Version 2.0 Initiative.

"Participants in I3A's CPXe initiative are firmly committed to making it easier and more convenient for consumers to get prints and other services from their digital cameras and camera phones," said Lisa Walker, president of I3A. "Their innovative work on CPXe Version 2.0 will deliver broader functionality to vendors, enabling CPXe compliant businesses to conduct transactions or establish instant partnerships with each other, based on business terms that they control and identify to each other dynamically."

"We have seen tremendous interest in CPXe as evidenced by the increasing adoption of the Version 1.0 standards. With Version 2.0 we are expanding the features by adding those improvements most frequently requested by our members," said Patrick Gaglione, chair of the CPXe Version 2 working group.

The CPXe specification combines open standards for the exchange of digital images via the Internet, such as Extensible Markup Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Web Services Definition Language (WSDL), and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI).

Specific new features of CPXe V2.0 will include:

-- Storage Access service functionality - the ability to add,

manage and utilize images with any CPXe compliant online

storage service

-- Transaction logging functions - enabling application providers

to share in the revenue generated by orders that they direct

to fulfillment providers. Fulfillers, in turn, can now partner

with any application provider either by contract or

dynamically, greatly increasing their consumer reach

-- Complex Products - standards that include support for ordering

high value composite imaging products that can drive up

revenue and consumer satisfaction. These products, such as

bound albums and album pages, calendars, greeting cards and

postcards, are becoming increasingly popular with digital

camera users and generate high incremental revenue for vendors

Picture Services Network, Inc. (www.pictureservices.org) is helping the industry unleash the full potential of CPXe by providing the PSN Directory Service. This global directory provides immediate access to an online database of photo service providers - see today's complementary press release for details on PSN.

About the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A)

I3A is the leading global imaging industry association, driving growth of and setting standards for the photographic and information imaging markets. As the industry focal point, I3A offers a framework and environment where members can quickly find resources to solve critical issues and develop market solutions. Members of I3A work together to find common ground for advancing the industry and to enable better products and services for their customers.

I3A is an accredited Standards Developing Organization, serving as secretariat for the International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 42 (ISO/TC42) on Photography, and as administrator for the USA Technical Advisory Group for this committee. Information about I3A can be found on the World Wide Web at www.i3a.org or by phone at 914-698-7603.