Eric Zarakov, VP Marketing of Fotonation to Speak at I3A Conference


Burlingame, CA May 11: FotoNation (www.fotonation.com), a leading provider of embedded imaging and communications solutions for the digital camera industry, announced today that Eric Zarakov, VP of Marketing, FotoNation, will be speaking on the "Megapixels: Truth and Consequence" Panel at the 61st Annual I3A Conference - Inspiring Imaging Innovation, held in Denver on June 7, 2007.

Moderated by well-known author and photographer, Sally Wiener Grotta from The Well Connected Woman, FotoNation's Zarakov will discuss digital camera and camera phone megapixel strategy with co-panelists, Don Willimas of Eastman Kodak; Robert Gann, HP; and Ed Dowski of CDM Optics.

Questions delved into during the panel will include:

Are extra megapixels more of a marketing strategy than a real advantage to consumers?
Since the majority of digital capture devices sold today are camera phones, do megapixels mean less than ever?

"The industry has been racing along the megapixel highway ever since the first digital camera shipped," said Sally Wiener Grotta, Moderator. "The important question is, however, whether the consumer is being properly served and informed by the marketing emphasis on the number of megapixels, which doesn't always relate to real image quality."

"While industry insiders know the weakness of relying on megapixels as measure of image quality, the number of megapixels is still an important check box item used in marketing digital cameras and camera phones. Mass-market consumer marketing agendas, however, are shifting the focus away from the boring technical specifications of megapixels to new advanced imaging features, such as face detection and face tracking, which are easier to communicate to end users. This will be a fun panel to explore these issues," said Eric Zarakov, VP Marketing, FotoNation.

About FotoNation

FotoNation is a world-leading independent provider of embedded imaging and communication solutions for the digital camera industry. The company's extensive portfolio of patented innovations includes in-camera red-eye removal technology, wireless connectivity, and face-recognition software. Over 64 million digital cameras have been shipped with licensed FotoNation Red-Eye detection and correction technology. FotoNation develops innovative solutions, intellectual property, and products to enhance, extend, and simplify the picture taking and sharing experience. Clients include AOL, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Microsoft, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Samsung, Sanyo, and Sony, among others.

FotoNation has won numerous awards, including the DIMA 2006 Innovative Product Award and the prestigious 2006 European IST award for its Red-Eye Detection and Correction Technology. The company makes important industry-wide contributions to the advancement of digital imaging. In 2005, FotoNation authored the industry-adopted PTP-IP Specification, which is the basis of the international camera connectivity CIPA-005/2005 standard.

For more information, see www.fotonation.com.

About I3A Conference

The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) is the leading global association for the imaging industry. The 61st Annual Conference, Inspiring Imaging Innovation, will be held in Denver, June 6-8, 2007. The event will look in depth at the emerging technologies that will fuel success in the constantly evolving imaging industry, while exploring accompanying business challenges and formulating the next steps to turn those challenges into opportunities for all sectors of the imaging industry. The Annual Conference is also the occasion for I3A's Annual Achievement and Safety Award

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