LifePics today has announced a strategic partnership with Canadian-based Beaufort
Solutions that marries the power of
Beaufort's Image2Print software with LifePics' online services. The partnership
allows consumers to order online for
printing at a convenient totally automated in-store kiosk. In addition, consumers
ordering from an in-store kiosk will
now have the ability to archive their images online through their favorite LifePics
enabled photofinisher and take
advantage of other printing options available via wholesale labs in the LifePics
network.
The new partnership allows photofinishers to offer consumers convenient 1-hour online
service to many more locations
than was previously possible. For consumers preferring to edit and enhance or upload,
share, and organize their digital
images from the convenience of their home, they now can order from home and pick
up the prints at a local, convenient
kiosk. Consumers get better quality prints while avoiding the hassles of home printing.
Because of the favorable
deployment cost of kiosks compared to full mini labs, photofinishers can now offer
1-hour online services at far more
locations, in turn driving more consumer traffic to their stores.
In addition, the partnership gives retailers the ability to offer more print choices
to consumers. Kiosk users not requiring
immediate delivery of prints can now take advantage of the slightly cheaper printing
alternatives moe typically enjoyed
with traditional retail photo processing. The consumer still uses the kiosk's robust
Beaufort software to process, edit
and manipulate their digital images, but instead of receiving the output instantly,
consumers return to the retailer at a later
date to pick up their order. These orders are then routed to a mini-lab or wholesaler
for photofinishing.
Consumers ordering from a kiosk will also have the ability to archive their images
to their online account hosted by
LifePics. This allows the consumer to access the images at a later date to share
the photos with friends and relatives,
make additional edits, and place orders for photo-gift related items or reprints
back to the retailer. Finally, consumers
wanting to access their online account will be able to do so via the Beaufort Kiosk
Solution and print incremental oders
both from their media cards and their online albums right on the kiosk.
Says Todd Hiscock, President and CEO of Beaufort Solutions, "It's an exciting
opportunity for everyone. LifePics
extends the reach of its extensive network offering directly into the retail location;
Beaufort customers gain immediate
access to the LifePics vast network of central print labs; and retailers get an
enhanced product offering to drive volumes
and increased sales opportunities. Kiosk users also benefit substantially as they
gain order, print, and price flexibility."
Says Vahe Christianian, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at LifePics,
"We are eager to continue
working with Beaufort on developing additional powerful product offerings as we
connect our retail cusomers to the
Web and continue building an unprecedented, fully integrated in-store and online
photo processing experience."
LifePics is the market leader in online imaging solutions for photofinishers and professional photographers. Using LifePics' technology, photofinishers and professional photographers are able to accept orders from consumers via the Internet and send those orders directly to a photofinishing lab that is most convenient to the consumer.
More retailers use LifePics than any other online imaging solution. LifePics' customers range from mass merchants and large food and drug chains to local camera shops and independent photofinishers. These retailers offer the service at more than 2,400 stores across the U.S. and Canada. LifePics works closely with these retailers to help them build their online photo businesses.
LifePics is an open solution that works with a variety of photo software providers and photo web sites. In addition, the service supports a number of different print options - orders can be sent directly to stores for 1 hour service or routed to major wholesalers, gift providers, photo book manufacturers or a variety of other printers.
For more information, visit LifePics at www.lifepics.com.
Beaufort Solutions Inc. is a Canadian-based world-class provider of open systems
software solutions that enable, drive and support the transformation of digital
media into
quality prints. As a key kiosk software supplier for large reseller organizations
with complementary product and
services offerings, Beaufort focuses on delivering innovative and top-quality products
to the digital imaging industry.
For more information, visit Beaufort Solutions at www.beaufortsolutions.com.
