DALLAS, Jan. 17, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Publications from around the world downloaded a record number of high resolution ready-to-publish images from the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, according to figures compiled by Wieck Photo DataBase, Inc.
Nearly 27,000 high resolution automotive images were downloaded from the Wieck Photo DataBase during the four-day media preview, more than double the 10,300 downloads recorded from the previous year.
"This tremendous growth in the use of downloaded photographs shows that reporters and editors are increasingly turning to the Web to preview images and select only the ones they want to use," said Jim Wieck, president of Wieck Photo DataBase, which specializes in developing and managing Web sites.
"This is also a tremendous cost savings to the automakers -- or any other company that produces glossy media kits," Wieck said.
"Rather than produce and distribute expensive packages of slides and use overnight services to deliver spot news photos to publications requesting artwork, companies simply post a high resolution image on the Internet that can be quickly and efficiently downloaded for publication," Wieck said.
In fact, more and more companies are using the Wieck Photo DataBase to distribute photographs to the media. Wieck posts images on its own media Web sites as well as on the media Web sites it manages and maintains for its clients. The media use a protected name and password to access the images.
"We offer companies a managed, real-time distribution of their photos," said Bob Kelly, sales manager for the Dallas-based company. "With one stop, images are sent via satellite direct to media photo desks around the world, and they are posted to the company's and the Wieck Web sites for retrieval from the data base.
"Our desk operation at the Detroit show really opened corporate eyes to the fact that it doesn't take megabucks and huge systems to fulfill media needs," Kelly said.
During the auto show media preview, Wieck set up a complete photo desk operation to scan and post images as well as transmit images via satellite.
Among the other highlights from the auto show at the Cobo Center:
* Nearly 50 gigabytes of data was downloaded from Wieck servers,
the equivalent of more than 75 CD-ROMs worth of data.
* Automakers posted 595 high resolution images of new models and
concept cars and events that occurred during the media show,
which precedes the public opening.
* There were more than 2.1 million raw hits to the Wieck Web sites
and image pages during the show.
"This is the highest volume of media traffic we've seen during the five years we have been attending the show and providing on-site support for our clients," said General Manager Tim Roberts, who headed a five-member Wieck team that assisted automakers and journalists with their photo needs.
"In fact, it was the highest volume of Web traffic we have ever recorded during our 10 years of operation," Roberts added. "Despite the numbers, our servers never were taxed during the period and our bandwidth was nowhere near capacity at any time.
"There is no question that this high volume of traffic is a clear indication that companies are increasingly coming into the 21st century when it comes to distributing photographs to the media," Roberts said.
Among the companies that used the Wieck Photo DataBase at the Detroit auto show were American Honda Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Toyota North America. Smaller companies such as Corbin Motors, which introduced two single-passenger vehicles at the show, also posted images to the Wieck media and public sites.
About Wieck Photo DataBase
Wieck Photo DataBase was founded as a partnership in late 1990 by two United Press International veterans: Jim Wieck and Travis Hughs, who is chairman of the company. They soon enlisted Marge Boatright, also a former executive with the wire service, and Roberts, a former freelance photographer for the company, to help develop the new service.
With the New York Times News Service as its first client, Wieck Photo DataBase began operations in the spring of 1991, distributing analog formatted images to the news service's clients.
Within six months, the company was processing and distributing digital images through a bulletin board system and then moved to Web distribution in the mid-1990s using its unique ImageLink service.
ImageLink allows companies to give the media access to high-resolution photographs without having to produce costly hard-copy press kits.
The Wieck Photo DataBase processes files and then loads them into its database, which is linked to the appropriate Web sites with media-only access. Members of the media have free access to those sites where they can preview files online and download them without charge in a ready-to-publish format. Wieck also designs, manages and maintains corporate media Web sites.