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
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