Text 9953, 111 rader
Skriven 2006-02-22 16:16:12 av Ellen K. (1:379/45)
Ärende: Fujifilm, Konica Minolta and Eastman Kodak Establish EVERPLAY Standard
==============================================================================
From: Ellen K. <72322.1016@compuserve.com>

Fujifilm, Konica Minolta and Eastman Kodak Establish EVERPLAY Standard

10:43 AM EST February 22, 2006

Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Inc. and Eastman Kodak
Company, founding members of the former Picture Archiving and Sharing Standard
(PASS), today announced the EVERPLAY standard designed to ensure compatibility
of digital photos and motion images across a broad range of consumer products
for future generations.

Methods to organize and preserve digital images have evolved independently by
many different companies and have lost interoperability among the different
systems. There are also potential problems as time passes, systems evolve and
formats change. The new EVERPLAY standard aims to resolve these issues and
respond to consumers' needs to protect images and enjoy widespread
interoperability. The standard is designed to make it easy to implement and
uses XML next-generation language in its specification.

Fujifilm, Konica Minolta and Kodak will begin a free license program
immediately and call for the adoption of the EVERPLAY standard by all consumer
digital imaging companies. The goal for products and services is to use images
interchangeably and movies ubiquitously while at the same time, acknowledge the
value for protecting consumers' images.

By signing the licensing agreement, which is available on the Web site, any
company can acquire a royalty-free license to execute the specification, use
the trademarks and obtain rights to the patents owned by the EVERPLAY founders.

Further, the following tools will be provided at no cost: Software development
kit (SDK) v1.10 and Verifying tool v1.10. Details can be obtained from
http://www.everplay-spec.org .

In concurrence with the completion of the standard, the new name "EVERPLAY"
replaces "PASS" and shall be used as an interchangeable name for the
specification and related communication. A trademark, "EVERPLAY," and
associated logo have been registered to help with future identification of
products and services compliant to the standard.

About Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

Fujifilm Group is a leading global provider of imaging, information and
document-related products and services, and a pioneer of a wide range of
digital systems. It had global revenues of Yen2.5 trillion (US$23.6 billion, at
the rate of Yen107=US$1) in the year ended March 31, 2005 and 75,638 employees
worldwide. Its Imaging Solutions segment includes digital cameras, color film
as well as photofinishing equipment/services. Flat panel display materials,
medical imaging, graphic arts and other businesses constitute its Information
Solutions segment, and digital color copiers and other office products/services
comprise the Document Solutions segment. Through development and selective
application of its advanced digital, network, image processing, and other
proprietary technologies, the Fujifilm Group has expanded from its original
field of silver-halide photographic films into diverse new business fields. As
a global company with a reputation for the highest quality and reliability,
Fujifilm aims to make innovative use of the most advanced technologies to
create beautiful images and wide-ranging information, and provide the imaging,
information, and document solutions that will best meet the increasingly
sophisticated needs of the world community. Fujifilm is an environmentally
friendly, humane enterprise and an exemplary global corporate citizen.

More information about Fujifilm is available at http://home.fujifilm.com/.

About Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta Group's business domain spans "from imaging input to output."
The Group offers diverse products and services for new digital imaging
environments in a wide range of fields. Our business domain is broad, including
office equipment, optical devices, medical imaging, graphic imaging and
measuring instruments. Its largest office equipment business sector
consecutively offers advanced network document solutions, taking advantage of
its strengths in high-speed, color and networking technologies. We also
actively develop cutting-edge technologies that will expand the world of
imaging, concentrating on proprietary materials, optical, nano-fabrication and
imaging technologies.

Konica Minolta is committed to exploring unique markets and creating new
business opportunities focusing on digital input/output, as the possibilities
of imaging expand with the progress in digitalization and networking trends.

More information about Konica Minolta is available at
http://konicaminolta.com/.

About Eastman Kodak Company

Kodak is the world's foremost imaging innovator, providing leading products and
services to the photographic, graphic communications and healthcare markets.
With sales of $14.3 billion in 2005, the company is committed to a digitally
oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images
and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak's system of digital
and traditional image capture products and services to take, print and share
their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with
customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and
digital printing and document imaging; Creative Professionals rely on Kodak
technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images; and
leading Healthcare organizations rely on Kodak's innovative products, services
and customized workflow solutions to help improve patient care and maximize
efficiency and information sharing within and across their enterprise.

More information about Kodak (NYSE: EK) is available at http://www.kodak.com.

SOURCE Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

 Ken Sugiyama, Fujifilm, ksfpf@tokyo.fujifilm.co.jp; or Naoki Okamoto,
Konica Minolta, kpi-support@pub.konicaminolta.jp; or Liz Woerth, Ketchum,
elizabeth.woerth@ketchum.com, +1-312-228-6863; or Charles Smith, Kodak,
charles.s.smith@kodak.com, +1-585-724-7450
 http://www.prnewswire.com

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5
 * Origin: Barktopia BBS Site http://HarborWebs.com:8081 (1:379/45)