Free 30-page Photobook for Sony owners

Sony UK today announces the launch of PR!NT, an online photo printing service for their e-community, powered by PhotoBox.

Users can upload, archive and share images and order from a wide range of PhotoBox photolab products ranging from straightforward prints to novelty items and albums. Simple to use, photos can be printed at the click of a button. The service will be found at:

www.sony.co.uk/print

and will also be accessible through the growing ‘Communities’ portal. There will be an introductory offer of a free 30 page photo book for all new registrants.

PRINT launches in time for the summer holiday season. The service will develop over time to provide new ways for customers to get the most out of features unique to Sony such as Sweep Panoramic images. It will also offer an unlimited online storage for a secure back-up of images and will compliment other services from Sony such as tutorial and community sites, and Personal Space for private photo and video sharing.

“We are excited to be able to offer a new print service for Sony customers, allowing them to print and bring to life exciting images taken on a Sony product. The service is an important addition to the Sony Digital Imaging range as it will offer consumers the ability to release the unique features in our cameras such as Sweep Panorama, and help them learn more about taking great photos”, said Neil Bowen, Proposition Development Manager, Sony UK, a subsidiary of Sony Europe Limited.

“This is a great match for us, two market leaders with unrivalled expertise in photography, now working together and creating a compelling offer to consumers. We’re thrilled at the prospect of working with Sony UK as we continue developing the service with more innovative products and features, making it a joy for everyone to free their photos”, concluded Lawrence Merritt, PhotoBox Managing Director.

Editor’s Comment: this is something of a scoop for Sony UK in hooking up with a UK fulfilment lab. The dominance of CeWe, the giant German photolab, in on-line as well as retail outlet and kiosk product fulfilment, might have suggested them as a logical European partner. PhotoBox, though UK-founded, is now a subsidiary of Photoways SA, a French group, and offers regionalised services in every European country – which could allow Sony Europe to extend this venture across the region. In April PhotoBox Limited announced that a stock market flotation was being considered within the next year.

The services provided by PhotoBox are generally considered to professional in quality, and are used by many websites such as www.theimagefile.com – a sample collection of my own regional images on theimagefile (with their PhotoBox ordering options) can be viewed here. – DK