Hewlett-Packard announced Thursday that it will begin storing digital images on its own Web sites for users of its "Instant Share" program for digital cameras. The service is being offered for free to buyers of the new Photosmart 812 digital camera, which has a variety of features, software and Web services that the company claims make it easier to share digital photos over the Internet.
The plan is similar to one Kodak unveiled last month called Easy Share. With the HP service, however, recipients of digital images do not have to open e-mail attachments.
"What it's doing is trying to rope the HP camera consumer into spending more money with HP, for lack of a better phrase," IDC analyst Chris Chute told NewsFactor. "It gives [HP] the chance to offer other kinds of ancillary services to that user that they couldn't get otherwise."
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