BOSTON-Wireless imaging is emerging as a new trend in the digital photography and wireless telecommunications markets, ac-cording to a new study from InfoTrends Research Group Inc. titled “Wireless Imaging Market Opportunity.”
The market will develop at different rates around the world. The first wireless digital camera will begin shipping in the United Sates by the end of the year, and in Japan and Europe, which have more advanced wireless network infrastructures, the technology already is available, the study said.
A host of challenges still stand in the way of wireless imaging, including low bandwidth over wireless networks, lack of a global standard and lack of color displays on hardware. However, nearly a million users are expected to have wireless photography capabilities by 2002.
“Telecommunications infrastructure players and carriers are anxious to drive demand for bandwidth, and images will be a primary consumer of bandwidth in the coming years,” said Kristy Holch, principal at InfoTrends.
“Furthermore, wireless imaging connects users with the Internet, driving revenues through areas like increased usage, Internet storage and printmaking,” Holch commented.
