Kodak stops making cameras
Kodak, the company that practically invented popular photography, has announced that it will no longer make cameras.
A company press release dated February 9, 2012 says that “starting in the first half of 2012,” Kodak will “phase out its dedicated capture devices business” and instead “seek licensees for cameras.”
Here is the business-speak explanation:
“For some time, Kodak’s strategy has been to improve margins in the capture device business by narrowing our participation in terms of product portfolio, geographies and retail outlets. Today’s announcement is the logical extension of that process, given our analysis of the industry trends.”
— Pradeep Jotwani, President, Consumer Businesses, and Kodak Chief Marketing Officer, Kodak press release, February 9, 2012.
Kodak’s focus will be on “retail-based photo printing, as well as desktop inkjet printing” such as:
- Retail-based photo kiosks and dry lab systems.
- Consumer inkjet printers.
- Kodak apps for Facebook.
- Kodak Gallery, an online photo products service.
- Camera accessories and batteries.
- Film capture and photographic paper.
In other news, Kodak will remove its name from the L.A. theater that currently hosts the Oscars.
Source: Kodak press release via PhotographyBlog, and Washington Post.
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Comments
Reply by Kitchen Benchtops
February 19, 2012
I have also learned that Kodak will “phase out its dedicated capture devices business” and instead “seek licensees for cameras” which is priceless