By Editor
The Mobi allows wireless transfer directly from camera to smartphone or tablet
Eye-Fi, Californian-based vendor for wireless SD memory cards, has launched the Eye-Fi Mobi in the UAE.
Mobi is a Wi-Fi-enabled SD Card that turns standard cameras into connected devices, enabling photos and videos to be transferred wirelessly to a mobile device for immediate upload on social media and email. Because Eye-Fi creates its own Wi-Fi, no computer or online account is needed. Users simply need to download the free Eye-Fi app for iOS or Android, enter a 10-digit code and the mobile device is paired.
Mobi has been available in Japan, North America and Australia since June of last year and but the product became available to the EMEA markets since September 2013, said Niels van der Valk, VP EMEA Sales and Marketing.
The fast roll out of the product is due to the fact that product development and the technology behind it are growing very fast making it crucial for Eye-Fi to target as many markets as fast possible, according to Van der Valk. “We can build and sustain the brand locally and because technology is catching up so soon, we are continuously developing our products. Think of all the information that is being stored in the cloud, an area we are hoping to build solutions for,” Van der Valk added.
With an African launch next on the agenda, Eye-Fi will have covered about 90% of all the markets in EMEA, Van der Valk noted.
The launch comes as social media continues to play an increasingly leading role in the UAE. There are currently 3.6 million active users on Facebook in the UAE and 363 000 users on Twitter, in addition to newer social media platforms also gaining traction. Earlier this year UAE emerged as number one among Arab countries that use Instagram, the world’s largest online photo gallery.
“We are focused on the MEA market for the Mobi because the set-up here is great for mass retail. Users also benefit from having great quality pictures through their social media,” said Van der Valk.
Van der Valk added that the company is hopeful of significant market share from the Middle East as adoption of technology in this region is very high combined with a significant disposable income for residents.
StreamPort Media will be distributing products to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan. Eye Fi Mobi also recently launched in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Reza Mehdizadeh, Managing Director at Streamport Media explained that the company has been tracking the Mobi for the last two years while monitoring its development.
Reza observed that the gap between professional video and consumer is closing and a lot more people are comfortable to share their photos online. “This is one more option for the customer to be able to share content whether it is video or photos,” Reza added. The Mobi targets any photo enthusiast with a digital camera that does not offer Wi-Fi capabilities, currently a very large segment of the population.
The Mobi is available through Streamport’s retail partners including Sharaf DG, Jumbo and online retailer Souq.com.