Publishing Quark recently announced that Metro International, the world's largest and fastest growing international newspaper according to Quark, has decided to implement QuarkXPress 7 for its entire global network. Metro International publishes 69 editions in 19 languages in 93 major cities in 21 countries in Europe, North and South America and Asia. The daily distribution of free newspapers means that Metro International is always on the lookout for cost savings. According to the company's management, these were very important reasons for upgrading to QuarkXPress 7. 

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer is no longer allowed to distribute the brochure "Headache or Migraine - A Guide". According to a ruling by the Federal Court, it contains unauthorized advertising for pharmaceuticals. Pfizer must also ensure that the misinformation is corrected (see ). Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, deemed the brochure and accompanying letter, which had been sent to 939,000 women, to be unauthorized advertising. On May 9, 2005, Swissmedic prohibited Pfizer from further distributing the brochure and the accompanying letter. Pfizer's appeal was first rejected by the Federal Appeals Commission (on December 14, 2005), and the Federal Supreme Court also rejected the appeal (August 10, 2006). Swissmedic welcomes the decision of the Federal Supreme Court, according to an SDA statement. Pfizer now wants to contact Swissmedic to discuss how to proceed with the correction.

Newspapers AY&R has designed a campaign with long-term potential for SonntagsZeitung. "We're excited," says Caroline Thoma, Publishing Director at SonntagsZeitung. The new campaign by Advico Young & Rubicam with a poodle, diaper and banana as eye-catchers across three entire advertising pages has polarized internally: Is this the SonntagsZeitung? It celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007 and not only reported stable readership figures, but even a slight increase in advertising. All of this has encouraged the publisher to "consciously take a bolder stance" with its new advertising even before the anniversary year.SonntagsZeitung commissioned a brand study last summer. How do you stand with readers? The findings relating to the attributes "exemplary" and "time-consuming" were presented to three agencies. They had to derive the new positioning from this. The editorial team was also heavily involved in all of these discussions. Advico Young & Rubicam ultimately won out with a basic strategic idea based around the claim: "Time to discover".
During the week, information is often more work than leisure. The news pours down on us and we don't have time for background information and further reading. Fortunately, there is Sunday - and the SonntagsZeitung. Here, the daily topics - in addition to our own, extensively researched content - are merely a starting point, providing a wealth of information, inspiration and thematic cross-references.
With the new "Discoverer" campaign, the SoZ is positioning itself at the top of the Sunday information chain: new topics and information are discovered and picked up by the SonntagsZeitung before they find their way into other media.
Informative added valueThe claim of the last campaign was: "There is only one SonntagsZeitung." This has now become a little outdated, as the newly added NZZ am Sonntag is "developing more and more in the direction of a SonntagsZeitung", as the publisher on Werdstrasse believes. "Only two bundles are still missing - travel and multimedia." With the situation of three functioning major newspapers on Sunday, readers are now forced to make a decision: Which one is my favorite paper - because very few of them probably have time for all three. "We want to remain number one," says Caroline Thoma.
Most titles in Germany, including NZZ am Sonntag and SonntagsBlick, can rely on an umbrella brand on Sundays. The SonntagsZeitung has no obvious connection to the Tages-Anzeiger. Instead, it sells itself under the generic term. The fact that the SonntagsZeitung is perceived as being in the middle between SoBli and NZZaS is seen by its creators as a good starting position. However, this position needs to be positioned even more strongly.
"Curiosity awakens on Sunday," believes Caroline Thoma. Instead of just taking in brief information, people find time for interesting stories. In the new campaign, AY&R makes the informative added value of the SoZ tangible in the advertising. To this end, superficially banal everyday topics are underlaid with a wealth of surprising facts. For example, a teaser ad reads "On weekdays, a fly is just a fly", followed by a double-page spread with the equally laconic statement "On Sundays, a fly is more than just a fly". There is also surprising information and facts to discover on the subject, ranging from the medical use of fly larvae to the sad but true story of a suicide caused by a fly.
The subjects show how each topic can be dealt with not just with a catchphrase, but with interesting extensions. In everyday life, we overlook many things that can then be discovered in greater depth on Sundays with a little more leisure. To visualize the concept in principle, banal things such as a poodle, a banana or diapers were deliberately chosen. These are used to illustrate, with a great deal of imagination, how the SoZ editorial team could then proceed with real topics on Sunday. The handwriting in the advertisements is intended to express that this is about lively information and not lexical content.
The claim "Time to discover" is not just a slogan, but a basic strategic statement that can be placed under many other ideas. Until now, the publishing house has lacked a campaign that can be run over several years. This should now be possible. The new campaign has a strong recognition effect, which allows it to be used in a wide variety of media, from posters and plastic bags to the smallest filler advertisement. The idea is also suitable for guerrilla measures. Urs Schrepfer at AY&R is convinced that "the foundation has been laid".
The first four subjects of the campaign will be used in most of the major Swiss-German titles from the beginning of October. Further activities and measures are expected to follow at the beginning of 2007.
Andreas Panzeri

The SRG teletext subsidiary Swiss TXT is reorganizing its sales structure in the course of regionalization as of the beginning of 2007. A separate consulting and sales team will now be responsible for marketing cross-media offerings (teletext, online and mobile) in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. The two new key account managers are Albert Hangartner and Rita Nock and are responsible for marketing cross-media communication solutions in German-speaking Switzerland. Hangartner has over 25 years of experience in the media sector and will take up his position on November 1. In his last position, he worked for Blick and Sonntagsblick for eight years as area sales manager. Nock will join Swiss TXT on January 1, 2007. She previously worked for five years at TeleZüri in customer service and sponsorship.

Column Loosely conjured up appearances cover up agonizing deficits in communication, although it is becoming increasingly important for everyday life. Bullshit" by Harry G. Frankfurt has been on the bestseller list for non-fiction books for weeks. It must not have found many readers for that reason. Optimists rejoice that the number of books being bought is constantly increasing, while realists know that the number of books being read is probably decreasing. And among members of the communications industry, this gap is likely to widen even further compared to the average population. Not necessarily because they are reading less, so the hope goes, but because they are buying more, so the assumption goes. After all, according to Frankfurt, it represents the prototypical producers of "bullshit" (alongside politicians). And on closer inspection - i.e. after reading the book - his accusation is anything but flattering.
Frankfurt does not simply accuse the communications industry of spreading lies. Because lies require a serious relationship with the truth. Anyone who produces bullshit lacks this relationship. The communications industry is "not committed to making the necessary effort to tell the truth". The accusations are thoughtlessness, carelessness and indifference. The author attacks bullshit as a program to circumvent the tiresome and difficult search for the truth.
And this attack is obviously justified. It is the lack of desire for absolute quality and the lack of need for sustainability that are being attacked here. Superficial exaggeration is increasingly replacing the search for the essential core of the matter. The sparkling fireworks of ever new things routinely destroy what is valuable and worth preserving. The quick joy at the friendly nod of the many ends the responsible struggle for what is right in the long term. The appearance conjured up with a light hand covers up the agonizing deficits of the real experience.
And this is despite the fact that the results of professionally managed communication are obviously becoming increasingly important for shaping our everyday lives and even our society. It has long been the big global brands that instruct people on all continents how and what they should do, for example what they should eat.
The global success of fast food is not the result of consumer demand as revealed by market research. And when it comes to combating the worst consequences of this success - obesity in young children in the USA is a national disaster of the first order - all eyes have long since turned to big brands rather than state health institutions. Brands are powerful - we must or may take note of this.
Against this backdrop, we should not lose sight of Wittgenstein's motto, as quoted by Frankfurt: "In earlier times of art / Craftsmen worked with the greatest care / Every smallest and invisible part / For the gods are everywhere."
We do not need this utmost respect for absolute quality out of fear of the gods. We need it because of respect for the consequences of our work. As members of the communications industry, we should increasingly follow the example of the craftsmen quoted by Wittgenstein: they did not get involved in botching things up.
Jürgen Häusler is CEO of the Interbrand, Zintzmeyer and Lux Group and an honorary professor at the University of Leipzig

Fashion Spillmann, Felser, Leo Burnett lets Swiss local councillors pose for dresses from Migros.Kate Moss and Heidi Klum watch out: Now comes competition from Switzerland. And not from spindly young girls, but from political heavyweights. For the first time in Switzerland, Spillmann, Felser, Leo Burnett has sent 13 local councillors onto the catwalk and photographed them in a fashion campaign for Migros. For a year now, the major retailer has had its fashion presented by models who are not models: More than 100 Swiss men and women have already appeared as amateur klums for Migros.
With this campaign, the wholesaler deliberately wants to set a counterpoint to the styled and, for many people, untrustworthy fashion advertising of others. "We want to show that not only models look good in our clothes, but also ordinary people," says Claudia Haueter, head of advertising at Migros.
Why is Migros now showing Swiss local councillors? Mathias Babst, Art Director at Spillmann, Felser, Leo Burnett: "Local councils are likeable representatives of the Swiss - totally down-to-earth and sensible - just like Migros."
The political models were photographed by photographer Nathan Beck, who drove around Switzerland for days with a small crew, dressing and photographing the local councils. The campaign appears as a supplement and advertisement in newspapers and magazines and in Migros itself at the point of sale.
List M for the fashionable municipal councilAnna Engeler, Olten
Jonas Hertner, Olten
Andy Gafner, Oberwil i. S.
Marco G. Walser, Freienbach
Esther Britschgi, Cham
Bernadette Kern, Möhlin
Manuel Schweizer, Bäriswil
Astrid Mucha, Wolfhalden
Giovanna Delmenico, Novaggio
Luzia Hofmann, Jona
Marianne Streiff, Köniz
Yvonne Feri, Wettingen
Daniel Wyss, Arlesheim
Andreas Panzeri

The 2nd Digi Trend Forum was successfully held on Tuesday in front of around 100 participants at the new Zurich Stock Exchange. Ten speakers sought an answer to the question of whether channels or content have the better cards in the digitized media market. The Digi Trend Forum was organized by the publishing house Media-Daten AG in Rüschlikon and moderated by Pierre C. Meier, editor-in-chief of Werbewoche. Two classic channel representatives, Leandro Boschelle from Cablecom and Giovanni Conte from Swisscom, kicked off the event. However, their statements showed clear differences. While Cablecom sees itself primarily as a distributor, Swisscom is also involved in the content business. Conte cited the exclusive content and video on demand as some of the advantages of Bluewin TV. The view that only new or original content could be sold to consumers was also put forward by other speakers. Christian Gartmann from ProSiebenSat.1 Media even described this content as the fuel for technical innovation. However, the opportunities to sell this content are limited. This is because the media budget of households is finite. This was also evident in Publisuisse CEO Martin Schneider's summary of the "TV - medium of the future?" studies. Nevertheless, new models will make it possible to develop customized offers. The less someone wants to pay, the higher the proportion of advertising that will be delivered with a particular content.
On the way to audience-generated content? Today, content is increasingly being supplied by the audience. Marc Görtz, CEO of Ringier TV, presented an interesting example of this. At Talentscreen 06 in Zurich, amateur filmmakers had the opportunity to shoot a short film on a given topic (without a budget) within 48 hours. No fewer than 130 teams took part, ultimately submitting 93 films. These films were uploaded to talentscreen.tv and within a few weeks and without any advertising were viewed by 25,000 unique users with 215,000 page views and rated 8,000 times. Due to the high level of interest, Ringier now wants to expand this website into a portal on which films with HandyCam, WebCam or MobileCam can be stored. In addition, a media alliance of the Abendzeitung heute and Sat.1 Schweiz will ensure that this idea is publicized further. Marc Görtz does not know whether it will be a success, but he does know that trial and error is essential in this business. And because the demands of individual viewer segments are becoming ever more divergent, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the major television channels in particular to reach a mass audience. Ingrid Deltenre, Director of Swiss Television, noted that the demands of the majority are becoming less and less aligned with the demands of the various minorities.
Radio landscape searches for ways into digitalization The digital future of radio still seems to be quite unclear. On the one hand, Giuseppe Scaglione highlighted the new possibilities of radio broadcasting via the Internet. In the age of podcasting, however, it is also vital for radio stations to distinguish themselves through moderation or music expertise. For him, the future of radio lies in the Internet, which, with the increase in mobile broadband coverage, also loses the disadvantage of only being able to be used from a stationary location. In contrast, the replacement of FM by digital broadcasting channels such as DAB is proving much more difficult. Bruno Oetterli used a few figures to illustrate how difficult this changeover will be. DAB will only become interesting for the audience if exclusive content is broadcast there that meets with a high level of interest. However, the production of such programs is not free. And they can only be financed through advertising if they reach a sufficient audience. It will take years before this happens, during which the effort involved will be offset by hardly any income. So without investors with staying power, it won't work.
The situation is even more different in the press, where digitization can only extend as far as the printing plate. Urs Gossweiler, the proactive publisher of the Jungfrau Zeitung, takes the most radical approach to this situation. He focuses on the Internet, which the editorial team uses to enter all content directly. The twice-weekly printed edition is then only a waste product and is generated directly from the website without any further intermediate steps. Cash has also recently embarked on a new path with its Cash daily network. In conversation with conference moderator Pierre C. Meier, it became clear that the advertising industry is currently only organized to a limited extent to be able to use this service in its entirety.
 
Content remains kingIt became clear at the 2nd Digi Trend Forum that content remains king. Because only original content can be marketed. And the advertising industry will increasingly have to adapt to the fact that media will only reach part of the masses and that complex accompanying measures are therefore unavoidable. It is obvious that this will have far-reaching effects on remuneration models and usage research.

The International Design Alliance (IDA) has appointed Professor Dr. Peter Zec as the successor to Jacques Lange and thus as the new chairman for one year. The president of Icsid, director of the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen and initiator of the Red Dot Design Award thus holds the highest official office in the design community, according to a media communiqué.
 
The IDA is a strategic association of the two design umbrella organizations Icsid and Icograda. It has been implementing joint initiatives since 2005 and seeks to strengthen the role of the design associations as influential NGOs that are consulted by the UN and UNESCO, among others, in areas relevant to design.
 
For the duration of his chairmanship, Zec is particularly keen to intensify his lobbying work and make a major commitment to design education, the press release continues. He is also looking forward to continuing work on his "World Design Capital" project, a competition that is held every two years and in which cities from all over the world can participate.

Theater Winkelwiese kicks off the autumn theater season with the new season "Perfect Moment". The audience can look forward to five premieres. For example, "Still Life in a Trench" by the most successful Italian playwright Fausto Paravidino. The new season is accompanied by the Winkel season magazine and a poster display. Both have been realized by ViznerBorel.

With Incite Media, Roland Kümin wants to turn advertising at the POS into an experience for all the senses.how can you inspire a customer? This is the area of tension in which Roland Kümin has been working for a long time. The founder of two successful companies finds ideas for this when shopping for clothes with his partner, for example. The former mechanical engineer is not bored waiting next to the fitting room. Today's marketing specialist looks around the store with curiosity - and notices what customers react to most emotionally. In the USA, Kümin has discovered in this way that in-store television is already very advanced. Wal-Mart and other retail chains have their own television. Customers are informed and entertained on these in-store screens and are also provided with live news. "Why not us too?", Kümin wondered. Now a futuristically styled and large service center is being opened in Regensdorf this week under the management of his partner Habegger AG by Kümin's Incite Media, which was founded a few months ago.
The advertising market is changing. "Retailing and advertising are merging," says Kümin. At the POS, it must be possible to captivate all the consumer's senses. This leads to a symbiosis between marketing understanding, content and technology. The task will therefore become more complex. "A normal advertising agency can no longer manage this alone," says Kümin.
His Incite Media sees itself as a full-service provider for marketing at the point of sale. Kümin has integrated the experienced Habegger AG into his company as a partner for the provision, installation and operation of the hardware. As one of the most important technology specialists in the event industry, Habegger looks after the infrastructure, displays and networking in cooperation with Incite Media. The
Filmproduktion Bluepark is the third specialist responsible for production and post-production. Kümin and his team of ten are responsible for content management and creatively orchestrating the messages for the new medium.
Display technology has developed enormously. These new possibilities have also become affordable in terms of cost. The new technology also allows marketing processes to be digitized. Whereas in the past, print products had to be carted into the store with the help of transport logistics for advertising at the POS, the new media can now be routed digitally to any point much more easily.
And the next revolution is already just around the corner. "Organic LED" is a thin and flexible film that can be wrapped around a pillar in the store or otherwise incorporated into the architecture in any shape. Kümin is convinced that "moving images will be displayed on it via the digital network the day after tomorrow".
With Incite Media, he wants to supply the big brands across Europe in the medium term. These must become multi-touch point organizations in the course of e-commerce. On the way there, the new service provider wants to help these brands so that they can "transport their messages to their customers in an emotionalized way" at the POS and one step further in the virtual world.
Incite Media realized the first project for Esprit. The company built networked display systems for the fashion chain and integrated these areas individually into the architecture of the stores. A multimedia concept for future stores is now to be developed for a Swiss travel company. The new model of a travel agency presents itself as a lounge and, with its multimedia platform, is to become a real community meeting place for travel enthusiasts.
Kümin was already infected by such IT worlds during his studies as a mechanical engineer. Back in the 1980s, computer-aided design was just being introduced in industry and Kümin was one of the pioneers who first "produced" a product idea virtually on the computer. He then moved to NCR. As a system engineer, he had to demonstrate his own applications and solutions to customers. This eventually led him to work in sales and marketing at companies such as Apollo Computer and Sun Microsystems.
And he successfully built up the market in Switzerland and southern Germany for another American software company. Then "a donkey rode him". Kümin said to himself: "Why can't I do this for myself instead of working as a mercenary for an American company?"
He founded his first company in 1995. Actano initially acted as a service provider for CAD applications. But because "as a consultant you can't charge for more than 24 hours a day", Kümin continued to look for an idea that could be multiplied more easily. Actano specialized as a software manufacturer in the field of project management for the automotive industry and today supplies all major brands. After the company had grown from 0 to 150 people, Kümin sold Actano.
Kümin also built up his second start-up, Monzoon Networks, brought it to success and finally sold it. Today, this company successfully operates a public wireless LAN network in Switzerland.
What is driving him to found his third company, Incite Media? "Maybe I'm a start-up junkie," smiles Kümin. Some climb mountains. His passion is "turning ideas into reality". He finds fulfillment in the process of inspiring people, convincing investors, finding employees and looking for customers. "Just like in physics, you have to overcome the initial resistance. It takes a lot of energy to get going. Then it rolls - but only if you do it right." Kümin is proud that all of his start-ups are still active.
Andreas Panzeri

Photography In order to survive in the oversaturated digital camera market, suppliers are relying on SLR cameras.photokina closed its doors in Cologne on October 1. The trade fair management was not stingy with superlatives and described this year's edition of the biennial "World Fair of Photography" as the "biggest Photokina ever". Above all, the market leaders in the photographic sector showed their size, taking up more and more square meters for more and more products. Some suppliers, on the other hand, were no longer represented, and consolidation has also taken place in the photographic sector. Konica Minolta, for example, was swallowed up by Sony, while the high-end suppliers Leaf and Sinar now belong to Kodak and Leica (see below).
There are fewer and fewer pure camera manufacturers. Whether Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Panasonic or Sony: they are all huge corporations, and the photo sector is often only part of their product range. The product range of these suppliers extends from compact cameras and desktop printers for hobby photographers to digital SLRs with resolutions in the double-digit megapixel range and professional large-format printers.
Each company pursues a different strategy depending on its origins. Kodak, with its origins in film manufacturing, has become a major digital printing provider through acquisitions of various companies; Sony, the leading consumer electronics group, became the leading digital camera provider virtually overnight through the aforementioned integration of Konica Minolta.
Compact cameras have a futureThe most innovations in Cologne were in compact cameras. Suppliers are trying to assert themselves in a saturated market with technical innovations. Compact cameras usually have the same or even higher resolutions than digital SLR cameras and are equipped with the latest image enhancement and image recording technologies. Resolutions of seven or ten megapixels are no longer a rarity in this category. The ever smaller cameras are also often equipped with up to ten or even twelve times the optical zoom.
For the first time, compact cameras were on display at Photokina that can be operated entirely via the rear monitor, which not only serves to visualize images but also functions as a touchscreen. Sony showed where the journey could take compact cameras: if you connect their Cybershot T50 to a compatible GPS module (enables satellite-based positioning), the current GPS coordinates can be integrated into the image. The software supplied sorts the photos geographically and shows the location of the shot on the PC at home using Google maps and city maps.
Between the worldsWith the rise of SLR cameras, superzoom cameras - also known as megazooms - have become less important. Manufacturers who previously relied on this hybrid of SLR and compact camera in the upper amateur/semi-professional segment have now expanded their product range to include digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLR). Panasonic has achieved this with newly developed models such as the Lumix L1 - Sony with the a 100 through the integration of Konica Minolta.
Nevertheless, new superzooms were also presented or exhibited during or shortly before Photokina. Three examples: At Photokina, Kodak presented the Kodak EasyShare Z710, equipped with a 7.1 MP chip, the latest model of its megazoom digital cameras. With a 10 MP sensor, image stabilizer and processor for face recognition (to set the exposure), the new PowerShot G7 from Canon is entering the race for the buyer's favour. The new "My Category" function automatically indexes and sorts the photos by category - depending on which shooting setting was used. Panasonic unveiled the Lumix DMC-FZ50, the successor to the Lumix DMC-FZ30, in the middle of the year. It is a superzoom camera for the "prosumer" market segment - with a 12¥ zoom lens and 10 MP resolution.
SLR cameras in vogueDigital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLR) are currently in vogue and attracted the most attention at Photokina. No other camera type is currently experiencing such high growth rates as DSLRs. This is no coincidence, as DSLRs are far superior to compact cameras. With their proven concept and above all thanks to the interchangeable lenses, the best results can be achieved with DSLRs (apart from the camera backs not included here).
As far as lenses are concerned, various manufacturers are trying to establish a standard. This "Four Thirds Standard", created by Olympus and Kodak and supported by Fuji, Leica, Panasonic, Sanyo and Sigma, is intended to enable lenses to be used with different cameras.
All manufacturers of SLR cameras now also offer attractively priced products for ambitious amateur and semi-professional photographers. Established DSLR camera manufacturers such as Canon (EOS 400D), Fuji (FinePix S6500fd), Nikon (D80), Olympus (E-400), Sigma (SD14) and (again) Pentax (K10) cannot afford to sit back. On the contrary, they have to share the market with Panasonic (Lumix), Samsung (GX-10) and above all Sony (a 100).
High-tech can now be found everywhere. The range extends from dust removal systems and anti-shake devices to the automatic face recognition options introduced in compact cameras and corresponding shooting support.
It remains to be seen how cameras with live MOS sensors, which enable live images to be shown on the displays, will develop. This visualization is not possible with traditional DSLRs, as the mirror in front of the CCD or CMOS sensor in the camera body makes a live image impossible.
The battle for the smallest and smallest differences between the suppliers ranges from weight (Olympus E-400 as the lightest and smallest DSLR) to the sensor (higher resolutions; new Live MOS sensor at Panasonic and Olympus) to technical features (image shake stabilizers etc.) and access to a huge range of lenses (Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony). Practical and available from almost all providers are new solutions that tackle the dust that inevitably gets lost in the housing when changing lenses.
Design and pixelsThe ambitions in terms of housing design are limited for DSLRs - only DSLR newcomer Panasonic was able to surprise with a simple yet elegant housing. Their Lumix L1 can even be described as a DSLR with a retro design. The suppliers of compact cameras are also trying to set special accents in terms of design. Unfortunately, this means that the housings are becoming increasingly similar. As far as camera design is concerned, there was no real trend or even a single real surprise to be seen at Photokina. Shiny metallic housings, here and there in color for compact cameras, and black housings for DSLRs.
What has remained is the apparently unstoppable trend of using ever higher resolution CCD cells in cameras. Whereas not so long ago 5 megapixels were the measure of all things for compact cameras, 7 or even 10 MP were no longer a rarity at Photokina.
However, in addition to higher-resolution chips, more and more technology is being implanted into compact digital cameras in particular. Most of these are digital aids that lead to better images. These range from correcting the "red-eye" effect to anti-shake technology to prevent camera shake, face recognition (including corresponding exposure correction) or higher ISO sensitivities (to enable dark backgrounds to be brightened).
The 16:9 image format could emerge as an upcoming trend. With the Lumix LX2, Panasonic has already presented the successor model to a 16:9 camera - the Sony T2 can be photographed in 16:9 format on request. This image format certainly makes sense, as this format is becoming increasingly popular for TV sets and laptops used for image visualization.
What to do with the data? the data volumes are growing exorbitantly due to the higher resolutions. In addition, much more is being photographed digitally ... after all, it costs nothing. The problem starts with saving and selecting or managing the images.
Epson and Canon (new: Canon Media Storage Viewer) have devices on the market that free the user from the PC: Equipped with 30 and more gigabyte hard disks and several inch displays, these devices are suitable as a portable storage solution. Eight gigabytes allow for new flash memories, some of which are being presented for the first time. Coupled with the high battery performance of the cameras, the ambitious photographer no longer has to worry about storage space and camera availability.
Adobe and Apple presented their high-end solutions for managing and organizing photos at Photokina. Specifically, Apple presented the free (and necessary) 1.5 update of the Aperture software, which has been improved in all areas of the entire workflow. Adobe presented its new and also improved beta version Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, which interested parties can download free of charge from the Internet and test for a limited time.
Printing without a PC - watching videos on the printerThe digital camera is becoming more and more emancipated from the PC. The traditional connection of the camera to the computer via USB cable in order to print images is hardly necessary any more, especially thanks to increasingly sophisticated printers. This means that simple image manipulation and the selection of sections can be carried out either on the camera or increasingly, as could be seen at Photokina, on the printer.
Small displays on the printers allow a wide range of options: In addition to compiling images into a sheet, video sequences recorded from the camera can also be played back - at least on HP models.
It is well known that printing photos on a home inkjet printer is not necessarily the cheapest way to get pictures. All established photo service providers offer solutions that allow the user to have the pictures sent to them by post or to collect them from their local branch. In terms of price, pictures produced with so-called photo kiosk or photo terminal solutions, which can be found in more and more locations, are somewhere in between. Hobby photographers can print out their own pictures on the spot from a CD or memory card they have brought with them. There was hardly a major printer and (former) film supplier at Photokina that did not also present such kiosk solutions.
Run on the portalsA major problem for printer manufacturers is the fact that users' images very often remain on their hard disks. Those who do not organize them immediately or within a reasonable period of time are unlikely to do so again. And as a result, these images are not printed out.
HP, a leading provider of computers and printers, now wants to combine its expertise in this area. The company has developed solutions that allow private users to store their images on HP servers and have photo prints made from them at any time. According to HP, this solves another problem: the image data is more secure against loss. After all, pictures are memories. According to HP, natural disasters such as Katrina have shown that people miss pictures the most after such events.
The leading suppliers of digital printing systems are making other efforts to bind customers more closely to themselves and their printing systems. Through acquisitions or partnerships, they are increasingly securing access to corresponding web portals. Last year, for example, HP took over the leading portal in the English-speaking world, Snapfish.com, and more recently the German portal Pixaco (which is also to be renamed Snapfish).
Xerox is in the race with myphotofun.com and presented an automatic system called Automatic Image Enhancement, which improves poor images without compromising good photos. Kodak relies on its own website Kodak EasyShare Gallery - and on the Kodak Nexpress digital printing system for output.
Visitors to the next Photokina 2008 who are only interested in photography should be warned in advance: pure digital cameras that can "only" take photos will probably be in the minority. The trend towards camera phones, integrated music players for slideshows and devices linked to GPS systems is unstoppable. Brands are becoming increasingly important in the battle for consumers. It remains to be seen whether the formerly pure camera or film manufacturers will be able to assert themselves against the photo newcomers from the cell phone segment in the long term.
The professional sector is somewhat different. Here, compatibility, reliability and ease of use are more important than playing back slideshows. At Photokina 2008, therefore, there will probably be deep divides between compact cameras and DSLRs in terms of features.
The navigation MP3 camera phone will probably be omnipresent at the next Photokina. As mentioned, Sony gave a foretaste of what such devices could look like with the Cybershot T50 - the only thing missing here is cell phone integration.
MergerOn the opening day of the trade fair
Leica Camera announced the purchase of Jenoptik's 51 percent stake in the Swiss company Sinar, a manufacturer of medium and large format cameras. Leaf, a developer, manufacturer and supplier of digital camera backs for professional photographers belonging to the Kodak Graphics Communication Group, and Jenoptik immediately announced "their commitment to a long-term business and technology partnership". Jürgen Franck

Commercial web offset printing Three new Rotoman presses at Biel-based Farbendruck Weber AG provided MAN Roland with the impetus for a two-day technology forum in Interlaken, where three automated 16-page presses were installed to meet the cost pressures of the market. Two of the new Rotoman presses can produce 16 A4 pages and 32 pages in a single pass. The third Rotoman is equipped to produce 2×8 and 4×4 pages as well as from roll to sheet. Weber also has a 48-page Lithoman web press and four Roland 700 and 900 sheet-fed presses, which enable the company to produce image brochures, product and sales catalogs, corporate publishing magazines, leaflets and flyers to optimum effect. The high demands of luxury brand manufacturers such as the Swatch Group, TAG Heuer and Hermès in terms of image impact in detail, brilliance and contrast are also met. For the 300 or so participants at the Rotoman Forum, the takeover of Farbendruck Weber added a whole new dimension to the transformation of the printing industry. Weber has been sold by its owner, the French group Partenaires-Livres, to the German group Arques/Arquana, Starnberg, which took a stand at the forum.
Arques Industries AG is Germany's first listed company specializing in the acquisition and restructuring of companies in transition. Its portfolio includes chemical and mechanical engineering companies, a baby carriage manufacturer and a paper mill (Wolfsheck from Stora Enso). The value creation potential of these companies is revitalized by a dedicated team.
The Arques subsidiary Arquana International Print & Media AG focuses on the consolidation ("buy & build") of web offset and packaging printing companies. It already includes Colordruck (Pforzheim), J.P. Bachem (Cologne), Johler Druck (Neumünster), Wanfried Druck (Wanfried/D), Evry Rotatives (Paris) and Sochor Group (Zell am See/A), which together generate a turnover of 187 million euros. Farbendruck Weber is the largest and probably the most modern company in this group with over 50 million euros. The ambitious group aims to achieve a turnover of over EUR 500 million by 2008, to be the top 3 web offset printer in Germany and the top 5 in Europe.
Hans Joachim Laue