When Steve Delnawaz started his own software company 12 years ago in Sydney, he never imagined that in the future he would be capturing the attention of a multinational company. That’s exactly what happened this month when Fujifilm Holdings Australasia purchased a 35 per cent holding in his company Whitech.
Whitech, a software development company, is the creator of the Photo.Teller Creative kiosk software, which is highly sought after in the photographic industry. The innovative technology allows customers to not only order digital prints, but also personalised photo merchandise through kiosks.
The prediction of expansion in the marketplace through the popularity of consumers being able to create and personalise items such as photo books, canvas prints, greeting cards, stationery, gifts, collages and DVD movie presentations has prompted Fujifilm to become a shareholder in Whitech.
“This is a major highlight as a small business owner,” says Delnawaz.
“Our staff has worked so hard to develop competitive and cutting-edge software. Photo.Teller software has been recognised in the industry as a market leader by winning nine international awards, distributed by some of the industry’s biggest players and in many different countries.”
Whitech was also recognised as the 2005 Telstra and Australian Governments Business of the Year.
“Our first kiosk software was released in 2001 when it was an entirely new concept in the photo industry. Kiosks turned out to be instrumental in the transformation of the industry, which we got to play a large role in with our software. Fujifilm becoming a shareholder adds to our success and will assist us to keep producing more innovative quality products,” says Delnawaz.
The kiosk software is marketed with Fujifilm’s Digital Photo Centre (DPC) kiosks, which are now the most popular method consumers use to order photographs in Australian retail stores.
Fujifilm Holdings Australasia CEO, Mike Machida, says the acquisition announcement was part of the organisation’s ongoing global business development and expansion strategy.
“Fujifilm has maintained a strong business relationship with Whitech throughout the development of the Fujifilm Digital Printing Model, so the organisation’s acquisition of an equity interest in Whitech was a natural progression,” says Machida.
Fujifilm Holdings Australasia director, Dave Marshall, says the organisation’s investment in Whitech indicates its commitment to providing a sophisticated fulfilment solution for retailers as well as a convenient and user-friendly selection of print ordering and photo-gifting solutions for consumers.
“The popularity of photo gifting in Australia will create the next growth phase for the imaging industry where ordering from retail digital photo centres, as well as new home ordering modules, are expected to more than double sales in the next two years,” says Marshall.