Product Introduction

Photo-Me International PLC 19 February 2004 Thursday 19 February 2004 PHOTO-ME INTERNATIONAL PLC Opens up Potential Multi-Billion € Market with DKS 900 DKS 1550 Again Awarded Industry's Prestigious DIMA Prize At the imaging industry's main gathering, the 2004 PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas last week, PMI (PHTM.L) successfully unveiled the world's first thermal (dry process) digital minilabs. The DKS 900 attracted substantial attention at the PMA, as it is the only offering on the market to target the two million or so points of sale worldwide that traditionally acted as collection points for consumer film rolls. This product completes PMI's existing digital minilab range, whose DKS 1550 minilab (the rebranded 1500) was also awarded the prestigious DIMA prize for the second year in a row at the PMA Show. With a retail price starting at around € 15,000, the DKS 900's introduction is expected to lead to the creation of a new, multi-billion € minilab market that does not overlap with the existing c.190,000 unit minilab market in which PMI has a prominent position with its digital product offering. Operated in-store, the DKS 900 is expected to generate substantial revenues for retailers, who are currently suffering from declining revenues from roll collections as digital replaces analogue technology. The DKS 900 is based on a unique proprietary PMI technology and is capable of printing from 180 up to 1,000 prints per hour onto thermal paper with a high quality, comparable to that of traditional silver halide prints. Its compactness, reliability and ease of operation make it particularly suited for a retail store environment. It accepts all current digital inputs, including mobile telephones, Bluetooth and memory chips, as well as analogue sources (negatives). Site testing of the DKS 900, which will be manufactured at PMI's factory in Grenoble, France, is scheduled to commence in the second quarter, with deliveries in the autumn, of 2004. At the PMA, PMI's DKS 1550 minilab, which benefits from MSB TM (Microlens Sharpened Beam) patented printing technology, won, for the second successive year, the accolade of the industry by being awarded the DIMA (Digital Imaging Marketing Association) Digital Printer Shoot-Out in the digital minilab category, beating competition from major imaging companies such as Agfa TM, Fuji TMand Noritsu TM . This award is the result of a vote by trade attendees - photographers, printing professionals and journalists - on the overall quality and colour accuracy (as independently defined by DIMA) of digital prints submitted anonymously to their judgement. Never before has the award been won by the same firm two years running. Serge Crasnianski, CEO of PMI, said: 'With the DKS 900, PMI is poised to take technological and market leadership in the consumer digital photography revolution. Together with our digital media kiosks, which are currently being trialled successfully in Europe, PMI now has a unique consumer-oriented digital imaging suite of products with the potential to propel it to the forefront of this multi-billion € market. I am also particularly pleased about our peers' recognition of PMI's technological leadership and view the second successive award of the prestigious DIMA prize to the DKS 1550 as a testimony to our expertise, notably thanks to our MSB patented technology. ' Notes for Editors: PMI is a specialist digital imaging company focusing on professional laboratories and end-consumer vending solutions. PMI has developed a unique, award-winning range of digital professional processing laboratories (minilabs and central labs) and a suite of consumer vending digital imaging solutions. With around 26,000 locations worldwide, PMI is the world's leading operator of photobooths and kiosks, which enable the end-consumer to fill their instant imaging needs in a convenient and reasonably priced fashion. PMI is now a constituent of the FTSE-250 index and trades under the ticker PHTM.L. At yesterday's closing share price of 139.5p, PMI's market capitalisation stood at £507 million. PMI was the FTSE-350's index's best performing share for the year ended 31 December 2003. On 12 January 2004, PMI announced its results for the half year ended 31 October 2003, which were substantially ahead of market expectations with EBITDA of £32.1 million and pre-tax profit of £15.1 million on a turnover of £117.2 million. Enquiries: Photo-Me International plc 01372-453 399 Serge Crasnianski (Chief Executive Officer) Website : www.photo-me.co.uk ------------------------------ Bankside Consultants Limited Charles Ponsonby 020-7444 4166 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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