Photo Book App Launched on Facebook

Press Release

That’s where consumers want it, says Ecce Terram

Atlanta, GA / Oldenburg, Germany (12/13/2011). Ecce Terram, a globally active digital imaging solutions company with headquarters in Atlanta, GA and Oldenburg, Germany, has launched a new photo book app for Facebook. The white-label application enables members of the social network to create and order photo books from their favorite photo services provider, which are generated directly from a Facebook photo album.

According to photo industry surveys, most of the more than 800 million Facebook members use the social network to store and share digital photos with family members, friends and co-workers, using the platforms “Photo Album” feature. The custom brandable application developed by Ecce Terram now clears the way for large retailers and photo services to generate new photo book orders from a so far underdeveloped source.

“Facebook has become the premier destination for consumers to share and store their photo memories,” says Frank Simon, president and CEO of Ecce Terram USA. “For retail chains and photo processing services, the white-label version of our photo book app for Facebook could well be the key to unlock the huge potential of this market.“

The new app is backed by the Ecce Terram’s long-standing experience with large-scale software deployments for the photo industry. Order processing is handled by Ecce Terram’s  Photo2Lab CentralHub middleware. The software facilitates complete solutions from photo ordering to processing in commercial labs, and also supports standard software installations, as well as customized for large photo processing centers.

Ecce Terram positions its photo book app for Facebook as a logical addition to the company’s order channel solutions for desktop, online, mobile and kiosk platforms. For large retail chains with the Photo2Lab infrastructure already in place, configuration and deployment of the new app to work with their existing order processing system can be completed within a matter of days.

“Time-to-market for new photo products and services is a major reason why large retailers have come to rely on Photo2Lab solutions provided by Ecce Terram,” says Jay Hitchens, Project Manager at ECCE TERRAM.

The German version of the photo book app for Facebook has already been successfully stress-tested during the strong start phase of Germany’s holiday shopping season on https://app.share-your-photostory.de/en/, which is bustling this year.

“The Photo2Lab enables our customers to connect with consumers literally anywhere, anytime they are ready to order photo products and services. Starting immediately, through the photobook application, that includes connecting with them during their ‘quality time’ on Facebook. That's when they appreciate offers the most which help strengthen their bonds with family and friends,” says Ecce Terram's president/CEO.

Facebook members who install the white-label version can then simply select an album on their Facebook page, choose a background color and pick an image frame. Once they have chosen the pictures to include, added short text comments (optional), defined the sort order and determined the cover photo, they can order the photo book to be shipped - all from within Facebook.

“By offering the new Ecce Terram photo book app, a customer now can enable consumers to create thoughtful, elegant photo book gifts, when and where it’s most convenient for them - on Facebook,” says Frank Simon. “For consumers, it allows them to free their photos from the fleeting digital domain, and create lasting gifts. For Ecce Terram customers, we expect it to significantly increase order volumes.”

About Photo2lab
The Photo2Lab Software Suite offers a complete solution from photo ordering to processing in commercial labs. It includes software applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux, web components, and modules for CD processing or mobile platforms, like iOS and Android devices. The modern connection protocol TRON is freely available and is supported by a variety of third parties. These provide solutions for, among other things, set-top boxes or kiosk terminals. Along with order processing, aspects such as payment, promotion, and adaptation options for affiliates and partners are taken into consideration as part of a white brand solution. The products can be used to handle anything from photo prints to hardcover photo books, thus offering unique flexibility and openness with the goal of enabling solution customers to reduce costs and reach new target audiences.

In 2010, Photo2Lab installations handled orders with over 220 million digital photos, 500,000 photo albums and photo calendars.

For more information, visit http://www.ecce-terram.com/

About ECCE TERRAM
ECCE TERRAM was founded by Frank Simon in 1996. It has specialized in solutions for e-commerce for the photo industry, lab control, e-payment, and content management. The company's Internet applications are used by well-known companies in the photo industry and beyond. Company headquarters are located in Germany, in the U.S. and New Zealand.