Rochester, NY—The UK Kodak Pension Plan (KPP) completed its acquisition of Kodak’s Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging businesses and created a new company, known as Kodak Alaris, which will preserve the heritage and legacy of the Kodak brand, “while embodying greater speed and agility to meet market needs and changes,” announced KPP.
Kodak Alaris, the film/photo kiosk/document scanner business that has a perpetual license to use the Kodak brand, unveiled its first product since being spun off from Eastman Kodak in September. The Kodak Photo Service was rolled out at the first Mobile Photo Connect Conference, held October 15 in San Francisco.
The Kodak Photo Service lets software developers building photo-editing apps add the extra functionality of letting users order hard-copy photo prints. It also lets consumers know the closest retailer using Kodak Alaris photo kiosks, where the photos or other merchandise can be produced and picked up.
“As you’ve done more to that print—added a filter, bring it into another application—it’s even a more valuable image to you,” said Larry Trevarten, vice president of business development for Kodak Alaris’s Personalized Imaging business. “To be able to print it out and have output is even more important (to consumers).”
While this idea is not new, for Kodak Alaris—with operational headquarters and roughly 700 workers in Rochester—the competitive advantage is its large global installation of photo kiosks, Trevarten said. “We can provide the maximum value for any software development partner if they want to hit multiple retailers.”
The app developers will also share in the revenue when a user orders a print through the Kodak Photo Service, he said. A variety of photo apps have already signed up, including CameraAce, Perfect365, WedPics and Postify Print.
Kodak Alaris also expects to ramp up the number of retailers where users can send their images to get printed. Currently, the company has partnership deals inked with Target Corp. and the Seattle-area Bartell Drugs chain.
As for the management structure of Kodak Alaris, Dennis Olbrich, president of Kodak Alaris’s Personalized Imaging business, and Dolores Kruchten, president of Kodak Alaris’s Document Imaging business, will provide leadership for the company that has more than 4,700 employees in 30 countries and expected revenue of $1.3 billion.
“Innovation has always been critical to our success and it will continue to be a cornerstone of our businesses,” said Kruchten. “Under new ownership, we will increase our commitment to pioneering new products and solutions. We will continue to deliver the industry leading services and support that our customers know and trust. And we will be a nimble, innovative company, capable of achieving greater speed to market.”
“Our new owner shares the same high commitment to our Kodak Alaris’s Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging customers, which is what makes the future of Kodak Alaris so exciting,” added Olbrich. “As we celebrate this critical step on our journey, the priority is to continue to meet and exceed the needs of customers and consumers. This we will do by continuing our solid tradition of customer service, all made possible by our committed and talented employees.” kodakalaris.com
