I3A Publishes Technical White Paper on Common Picture Exchange Environment - CPXe -- V2.0; New Features Include Support for Transactions, Image Storage and Albums.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading global association for the imaging industry, has published a technical White Paper covering Version 2.0 of its cutting-edge suite of specifications, CPXe, for the exchange of digital images and order information. The 30-page document, entitled "Standardized Interfaces for the Common Picture eXchange environment," is available for download at no charge from I3A's Web site, at http://www.i3a.org/pdf/CPXeWP05_Mar11_Final.pdf.

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. Version 1.0 of the CPXe specification was released in February 2003.

"It is important to I3A's mission that our deliverables be openly and freely available across the industry, so that the full potential of our standards is realized," said Lisa Walker, president of I3A. "The goal of our new White Paper is to explain the overall concepts of CPXe 2 in enough detail for technical leaders to be able to determine the implications and opportunities CPXe creates for their current and future business activities."

CPXe Version 2.0 builds on the Version 1.0 foundation by providing interface definitions for key services that are important to the digital imaging industry, such as image storage, fulfillment of orders for personalized photo products, and by providing additional infrastructure required for tracking financial transactions among CPXe-implementing companies.

The White Paper provides an overview of CPXe 2 from a technical perspective, defining the roles of CPXe Service Providers and Requestors, the components found in its architecture and their function, the mechanisms used to support requests between components, and the standards that are employed.

The document describes how CPXe 2 defines standardized interfaces for:

--transmitting images and order data to service providers for fulfillment,

--transferring images to and from image storage providers,

--tracking fee-bearing transactions for periodic settlement between suppliers, and

--transport of digital "albums" and other personalized photo products.

CPXe 2 utilizes 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), and also includes the Web Browser Interaction Service API (WBIS), for uploading and downloading images to and from service providers using standard HTTP syntax. This means that basic functions can be conducted from a standard Web browser.

I3A's CPXe 2 Initiative Group, formed in April 2004, includes Eastman Kodak Company, Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd, Hewlett Packard Co., Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd., Pixology PLC, and Qualex, Inc.

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 914-285-4933.