PictureMail Timeline

PictureMail Innovation Timeline, from LightSurf

LightSurf’s PictureMail Innovation Timeline began in 1997 when Philippe Kahn devised a system for instantly sharing pictures of his newborn baby using a digital camera attached to a cellular phone. Since that time, LightSurf has been at the cutting edge of innovation: designing, deploying, integrating, and managing Multimedia Messaging solutions for trusted partners worldwide.

September 2004
  • LightSurf PictureMail and VideoMail are Honored by theCDMA Developer’s Group as the Most Innovative MessagingSolution for Advanced Wireless Networks.
April 2004
  • LightSurf launches first inter-carrier MultimediaMessaging service in North America, connecting Sprint toCanada’s Bell Mobility.
January 2004
  • LightSurf launches MMSC and PictureMail Services for bothCDMA and GSM operators.
December 2003
  • Sprint becomes the first carrierto deliver an easy-to-use, affordable and nationwide VideoMail service powered by LightSurf.  

November 2003
  • Bell Mobility, Canada’s leadingwireless carrier, selects LightSurf’s PictureMail technologyto provide customers with fun and easy-to-use picturemessaging services.   

September 2003
  • Philippe Kahn honored for 3 decades of innovation in thetechnology industry by the Computer History Museum.
March 2003
  • LightSurf launches the LightSurf 5 Multimedia MessagingPlatform bringing real revenue opportunities to MMS,Picture-Messaging, and Premium Content Delivery.
November 2002
  • Motorola, O2, and LightSurf launch ‘Media Album’ – aunique, next-generation MMS Service
August 2002
  • Sprint Vision Pictures Launches Nationwide: InstantPicture-Messaging – Powered by LightSurf
May 2002
  • LightSurf Receives Upside Magazine’s Hot 100 Honors
March 2002
  • LightSurf Opens European Sales Offices
  • LightSurf works with Microsoft to Support LightSurfInstant Imaging solutions on Microsoft’s SmartPhone andPocketPC platforms
February 2002
  • Sprint PCS and LightSurf Announce Partnership to Deploythe LightSurf Instant Imaging Platform, enabling PictureMailfor all Sprint customers
  • International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) Presents2002 Leadership Award to Philippe Kahn
  • LightSurf’s eSwitch Instant Imaging Solution Delivers MoreThan Three Million Wireless Images During First 30 Days ofCommercial Launch
January 2002
  • LightSurf and Yahoo! Partner To Launch Web Image DeliverySolution For All Cell Phones In Japan
September 2001
  • LightSurf Announces the LightSurf III Instant ImagingPlatform to Deliver Secure Wireless Imaging Solutions to LawEnforcement and Intelligence Communities
  • LightSurf Announces Availability of the LightSurf eSwitch,Providing Instant Imaging For Mobile Internet Sites
June 2001
  • Philippe Kahn Demonstrates PictureMail for 20,000 Javadevelopers During Keynote with Ed Zander to Sun’s DeveloperCommunity
May 2001
  • LightSurf Demonstrates GPRS PictureMail Service withOne2One (T-Mobile) in the United Kingdom at MobileExpo 2001
April 2001
  • LightSurf Announces MediaExchange Server; Enables VisualMessage Delivery for MMS
  • LightSurf Announces Support for Qualcomm’s BREW platform
  • LightSurf Announces Support for Sun’s J2ME platform
March 2001
  • LightSurf Announces Availability of the LightSurf Instant Imaging Platform with Support for MMS and other Standards-based Messaging Systems
  • LightSurf Demonstrates PictureMail Picture-Messaging Service on Commercial GPRS Network at CeBIT in Hanover,Germany
September 2000
  • Philippe Kahn Demonstrates First Wireless PictureMail Solution at Demo Mobile Conference
  • LightSurf Reveals the First Application of Its Wireless Visual Communications Technology
June 2000
  • Kodak Launches the Kodak Picture Center Online – Poweredby LightSurf
April 2000
  • LightSurf Signs Partnership Agreement with Kodak toJointly Develop the Kodak Picture Center Online
February 2000
  • Motorola Licenses the LightSurf Instant Imaging Platform:Future Motorola Solutions to be “Powered By LightSurf”
1999
  • LightSurf Announces New Headquarters in Downtown SantaCruz, Ca
Spring 1998
  • Philippe Kahn Founds LightSurf with Partner Sonia Lee withthe Vision to Make Instant Visual Communications Possible for Everyone
1997
  • Philippe Kahn and Sonia Lee have a brand new baby, Sophie.While in the hospital, Philippe figures out a way to connect a cell phone to a digital camera to send pictures instantly tofriends and family around the globe. They decide this is a fantastic idea, but it needs to be radically simple soeveryone can use it.

The original timeline, located on the LightSurf website

http://www.lightsurf.com/info/timeline.html