Kahn says that at about US$0.25 a photo, he expects demand for e-photos to come from both consumers and businesses. Faraway grandparents could see instant snapshots of newborns and graduation ceremonies. People who had just been in an auto accident could transmit instant photos to their insurance companies. Construction site managers might transmit photos of projects for approval. Other software companies are working on various pieces of the same puzzle, and several camera makers have announced digital camera add-ons for cellphones and handheld computers. Active-photo, for example, has developed an application that enables digital cameras to transmit images wirelessly to PCs; Kemper Insurance is already using the system on a limited basis to streamline the claims process.
LightSurf, however, is the only one so far trying to work closely with telecommunications carriers to create a support structure for sharing images wirelessly, said Lia Schubert, an industry analyst with the InfoTrends Research Corp.
"LightSurf has a fairly unique position in that it covers the whole value chain," said Gerard, of Future Image.
Wireless image-sharing is proving slow to evolve, however, because so much of it depends on partnerships between industry giants, including cellphone makers and wireless carriers, Schubert says. But by early next year, all the pieces could be in place to make sharing e-photos a relatively simple matter -- particularly with the help of a wireless standard announced recently by Qualcomm. The arrival of the standard, Kahn says, is making it much easier for cellphone makers to add new capabilities to their handsets.
So far, Kahn and his wife are the sole investors in LightSurf. They have financed the company from the sale of their last venture, Starfish Software, to Motorola three years ago for US$254 million. Starfish focused on software for synchronizing data between wireless devices and PCs.
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