HP Delivers Hi-Res Software for Internet Shopping

Hewlett-Packard Co. delivered HP OpenPix ImageIgniter this week, a product the company is billing as “breakthrough software that makes Internet images burst onto the PC screen in rich, clear detail.”

The software is designed to give Internet shoppers the ability to zoom in on, pan and explore details such as the weave of a sweater, the pattern of a tie or the face of a watch. Users also can output vibrant color prints of their selection.

“Companies ‘igniting’ their Web sites with OpenPix ImageIgniter can
dramatically alter the way they can do business on the Internet,” said
Srinivas Sukumar, general
manager of HP’s Internet Imaging Operation. “These new capabilities signal the
end of static, flat images as Internet tools. Web sites not ignited by OpenPix
ImageIgniter will go the way of black-and-white televisions.”

HP OpenPix ImageIgniter makes it easy for businesses to fill their electronic
storefronts and online catalogs with the image-rich content needed to help
convert browsing
prospects into buying customers, the company said. A toolbar is attached to a
picture, allowing one to get a closeup look at a portion of an image, pan,
etc.

An evaluation copy of OpenPix ImageIgniter is available free for 45 days to
Web developers and software vendors creating e-catalog and e-business
communications for
business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications.

For the Windows NT operating environment, the OpenPix developer subscription
is available immediately for $495. HP OpenPix ImageIgniter software and
documentation also is available immediately for $4,995 per CPU. A preview is
available here.