PMAI Announcement Regarding Kodak

FYI, the following was posted this morning on the PMAI website:

"Kodak accelerates move into image sensor market for consumer devices


Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., USA, announced new image sensors for
mass-market products such as cameraphones and digital still cameras. The
company also announced new alliances that will extend its reach in the
market for image sensors. Kodak announced availability of the first CMOS
image sensor (CIS) devices to arise from its manufacturing alliance with IBM
Corp., White Plains, N.Y., USA, as well as development of a reference design
that incorporates these new image sensors with multimedia processors from
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI), Dallas, Texas, USA.

The company also announced an agreement to license key CIS manufacturing
technologies to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), the
world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry. A critical component in any
digital imaging device, image sensors act as the "eye" of a digital camera
by converting light into electric charges to begin the capture process.

"We are very excited that our manufacturing alliance with IBM is now
yielding its first products, and that we now are expanding our participation
in this industry through new alliances with other leaders, such as TI and
TSMC," said Mary Jane Hellyar, president, Display & Components, and senior
vice president, Eastman Kodak Co. "The market for image sensors used in
consumer devices is very exciting, and we will continue to move quickly to
deploy our core competencies in image science and sensor research to
participate strongly in these high-volume consumer applications."

Kodak's new 3- and 5-megapixel CIS devices - the Kodak KAC-3100 and
KAC-5000 Image Sensors - are targeted to cameraphone and consumer DSC and
DVC applications. Both sensors incorporate Kodak Pixelux technology, a
proprietary design that offers manufacturers of consumer digital imaging
devices improved image quality, higher performance, and more features than
other CMOS-based image sensors on the market, says the company. The new
products are manufactured at IBM's Burlington, Vt., plant as part of the
manufacturing collaboration announced last year between Kodak and IBM.

To help facilitate the design of next-generation mobile imaging devices,
Kodak has worked with Texas Instruments to develop a reference design that
incorporates these new image sensors with OMAP 2 application processors from
TI, a platform which delivers a foundation for mobile device manufacturers
to provide the latest in mobile entertainment, productivity, and imaging
applications on "All-in-One" mobile entertainment devices. This combination
will allow manufacturers to leverage TI's high-performance, power-efficient
OMAP 2 platform with Kodak's pixel technology to bring new multimedia-rich
devices to market.

Kodak also announced an agreement with TSMC that licenses key Kodak
technologies used in the manufacture of high-quality CIS devices. Under the
agreement, TSMC will be licensed to manufacture CIS devices using a variety
of Kodak manufacturing technologies that are fundamental to improving image
quality, performance and resolution. The manufacturing process licensed
under this agreement will be utilized by Kodak as well as other sensor
design firms under the terms of the agreement. Other terms of the agreement
are not being disclosed. "

--
Walt Hanks

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 21:36:27 -0400, "Walt Hanks"
wrote:

FYI, the following was posted this morning on the PMAI website:

"Kodak accelerates move into image sensor market for consumer devices


Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., USA, announced new image sensors for
mass-market products such as cameraphones and digital still cameras. The
company also announced new alliances that will extend its reach in the
market for image sensors. Kodak announced availability of the first CMOS
image sensor (CIS) devices to arise from its manufacturing alliance with IBM
Corp., White Plains, N.Y., USA, as well as development of a reference design
that incorporates these new image sensors with multimedia processors from
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI), Dallas, Texas, USA.

The company also announced an agreement to license key CIS manufacturing
technologies to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), the
world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry. A critical component in any
digital imaging device, image sensors act as the "eye" of a digital camera
by converting light into electric charges to begin the capture process.

"We are very excited that our manufacturing alliance with IBM is now
yielding its first products, and that we now are expanding our participation
in this industry through new alliances with other leaders, such as TI and
TSMC," said Mary Jane Hellyar, president, Display & Components, and senior
vice president, Eastman Kodak Co. "The market for image sensors used in
consumer devices is very exciting, and we will continue to move quickly to
deploy our core competencies in image science and sensor research to
participate strongly in these high-volume consumer applications."

Kodak's new 3- and 5-megapixel CIS devices - the Kodak KAC-3100 and
KAC-5000 Image Sensors - are targeted to cameraphone and consumer DSC and
DVC applications.

Pretty much a sure thing Kodak has deserted the upper end of the
market in a big way.
-Rich