New site, komachi-net (www.komachi-net.co.jp) offers photo storage, order processing, eCommerce, and fulfillment of digital prints to over one million Naniwa customers
SEATTLE, Wash., May 22, 2001-PhotoAccess.com™ Corporation, the leading Internet retail Applications Service Provider of digital camera photo finishing solutions for retailers and consumers, today announced that it has successfully deployed its infrastructure solution for Naniwa to create a complete online digital photo storage, albuming, print order and fulfillment Web site for Naniwa’s digital camera users.
Naniwa contracted with PhotoAccess to develop, manage and serve as the digital photo infrastructure for the online photo albuming and fulfillment Web site. PhotoAccess provides all the Web services associated with komachi-net including providing consumer upload stations in each of Naniwa’s retail stores and integration with each of Naniwa’s six wholesale photo finishing labs.
The new site, , targets young women who are just beginning to use digital cameras. “Naniwa-komachi” is an online character designed by the company to help novice users learn about their digital camera, and how to use it effectively along with the komachi-net services. Naniwa is charging an annual membership fee of approximately 1000 yen (about $10 U.S.) per person to use the service, and has some of the lowest prices on digital prints (38 yen, or $.35 for each print) and merchandise (calendars, posters, t-shirts) available.
Naniwa was established in 1947, and is one of the largest providers in Japan of camera, and photo finishing products and services. Naniwa provides high quality prints of traditional and digital photographs to over one million camera users in Japan through its 200 retail outlets, and through 30,000 retail stores in its established print services network.
“We are one of the largest photo finishing providers in Japan and anticipate processing digital prints for over 85,000 online members within a year,” said Takayuki Shioyama, president of Naniwa. “Partnering with PhotoAccess provided a fast and cost effective way for us to offer customers a place to store, manage, order and pay for prints online. PhotoAccess’ integration with our print labs is flawless. It enables us to process orders more efficiently by sending them to one of our six labs for faster printing and delivery.”
Jerry Barber, CEO and president of PhotoAccess, remarked, “This was the largest lab integration project we’ve undertaken. Processing orders and payment transactions daily from thousands of customers and routing them to the correct lab for printing and delivery is no small feat. This project validates that our global multi-language architecture is well designed and can scale to meet the needs of the largest lab systems anywhere in the world. We’ll assist any size company in tapping into new on-line markets to provide faster and better service to their customers.”
Naniwa is also the first retailer to install the PhotoAccess SNAP system (Software for Network Albuming at Photo-counters) in over 200 retail locations. SNAP is a retail software application designed to run on a low-cost, standard PC. Naniwa has strategically placed the SNAP PCs on the photo counter, wall or shelf in its stores, which will allow a customer walking in with his or her camera to access their komachi-net Web account, extract their digital photos from their camera, upload the photos to the Web site, and purchase prints and merchandise while in the store. SNAP is designed to assist merchants, like Naniwa, to provide the “best possible” customer service. It will be especially beneficial to Japanese consumers, who generally have slow, high-priced home Internet connections. With SNAP, customers pay no fee to access the Naniwa Web site and obtain in-store assistance for uploading photos, if needed. Naniwa anticipates that SNAP will be a valuable service, as well as increase store traffic and sales of its other photography offerings.
About Naniwa
Naniwa Shokai Co., Ltd, specializing in photographic materials and equipment, was founded
in Shinsaibashi, Osaka in 1947. Since then the business has been expanding steadily for 54 years.
Today the company has grown to annual sales of 60 billion yen, 61 divisions and offices, and 1250 employees. The company has earned the warm support and trust from many customers over the years, which has helped it grow to be the biggest company in this industry, in Western Japan. For more information contact Naniwa at http://www.cameranonaniwa.co.jp/.
About PhotoAccess
Founded in 1998, PhotoAccess.com Corporation is the leading Internet retail Applications Service Provider of digital camera photo finishing solutions benefiting retailers, professional photographers and consumers. In three weeks, businesses can have an integrated, flexible, branded, and cost-effective e-commerce Web site, hosted by PhotoAccess.com, that offers consumers exceptional digital photo prints and merchandise, online image management, permanent storage, ordering, and delivery options. PhotoAccess also provides customization and licenses its technologies to a variety of photographic, electronic, Web and software development companies. PhotoAccess.com is privately held, funded through venture capital firms, and has offices in Seattle, Washington, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information visit www.photoaccess.com or the Japanese Web site at www.photoaccess.co.jp.
# # #
CONTACTS:
Trish Horner, Public Relations - PhotoAccess
High Tech Options
(425) 503.2502, thorner@gte.net
Mark Waldin, VP of Marketing
PhotoAccess
(206) 902-1411, mwaldin@photoaccess.com
Tomomi Kato, Acting Manager
Naniwa Shokai.co.,Ltd
81+06(6281) 4177; tomomi.kato@728.co.jp
Back...
