In February 2008, ImageStation, the official online photo-finishing and photo-sharing service of Sony Electronics Incorporation, will disappear forever. Sony will initiate the winding up process on November 12, 2007 and on February 1, 2008 the website will be closed permanently. After Connect Music Store that was closed down, in August this year, in US and Europe, ImageStation is the second online service that Sony has decided to shut down. “We want to concentrate on our key products, services and businesses, and that’s why we have decided to pull the curtains down on ImageStation,” said the spokesperson of Sony.

ImageStation was launched in November, 1997 as a joint venture with PhotoNet, another online photo-sharing site. Despite being the signature site of Sony, it wasn’t the most popular. The website found it difficult to withstand the increasing competition from other photo-sharing sites like Flickr, Snapfish and PhotoBucket. Its revenues, which came from various membership level and through the sale of digital prints and photo-related gifts as greeting cards, calendars, mugs, t-shirts, etc., also began to fall steadily. Under these disheartening circumstances, closing ImageStation was the only option left with Sony.

Photo-sharing sites cannot be shut down randomly. It is essential for the proprietors of the company to provide the users a reasonable option to store all their uploaded images safely. In a bid to help its sincere customers to find a safe abode for their invaluable photos, Sony has entered into an agreement with Shutterfly, an award-winning online photo-sharing service. According to Shutterfly CEO Jeffery Housenbold, “Shutterfly controls one third of the online photo-sharing market. After getting all the customers of ImageStation, it will become a leader within no time.”

Those users, who do not want to transfer their images to Shutterfly, have been provided with two more options:

• They can download the images to their personal computer. This option is suitable for those users who have only a few images in their accounts.

•  If the user wants to preserve everything that is image, its caption and all the member comments, then they can order an archive CD or DVD. The cost price of archive CD or DVD is $7.49 per disc.

On November 12, 2007, most features of ImageStation will be disabled. Thereafter, users will not be able to join, upload, share and buy photos. However, they will be able to access their accounts as well as initiate transfer of uploaded images either to Shutterfly or to their personal computer. Archive discs can also be ordered during this period. On January 14, 2008, ImageStation will be shut down in its entirety. Archive discs will no longer be available, but users will be able to access their accounts as well as transfer the images to Shutterfly or to their computers. On February 1, 2008, ImageStation’s server will be powered down. Everything from the images to the member’s profile will be deleted. Sony has sent out these details via email to all the ImageStation members. It has even offered to refund the paid members.

ImageStation’s closure is inevitable. However, users of the site are unhappy with the decision and they have written extensive blog posting to voice their displeasure.