A Digital imaging company is eyeing up the lucrative telecoms market after launching a ground-breaking piece of technology.

Youview, based in Hove, has created a software and hosting package which will allow firms to show customers fresh images online within ten minutes.

The company hopes the product will be snapped up by businesses, such as estate agents, who want to get digital images to clients quickly.

Youview has been developed as an internet service but is expected to enter the mobile market in the next few months.

Digital camera and smartphone sales are mushrooming yet managing and manipulating images is still a relatively time-consuming and clumsy process.

At the moment companies tend to store digital images in online photo albums which pose security problems and often require customers to register.

Youview, which will also act as a host, will make it easier and faster for businesses to show selected images on demand.

For example, customers will be able to get images on email.

The company is in advanced discussions with a number of technology partners and clients in the media and telecoms sectors.

Youview, run by husband and wife team Fiona and Robin Brownsell, has also appointed technology entrepreneur Barry McWilliams as chairman.

Mr McWilliams has 20 years of telco industry experience and has spearheaded deals worth more than £100 million.

His know-how could prove an invaluable addition to Youview as it prepares to take advantage of growing demand for "info- imaging" products.

Mr McWilliams said: "Many people use camera phones and digital cameras so the market potential is huge.

"Yet the availability of devices to take pictures far outstrips the ability of organisations to actually show them to their customers.

"I was delighted to come on board at Youview because I expect great things from the management team and technology platform in solving this issue.

"It seemed crazy to us that so many devices are around that can support images but the means to distribute them is so inflexible that there is relatively little use of such a powerful tool.

"The business models behind Youview's products are unique and will provide the flexibility that will enable the use of images on a much wider scale than currently possible."

Mrs Brownsell said: "Youview has designed its business and technology to surmount the challenges and create new opportunities within an emerging, high value sector."

According to Dan Carp, chief executive of Kodak, the info-imaging market is worth about £190 billion and is growing at eight to ten per cent every year.

Friday March 19, 2004