Digital Photo Frames With A Purpose

Connected photo frames are one of the areas I am watching and evaluating very closely these days. After speaking with a number of companies that are leading some innovative efforts around connected photo frames I am convinced that the single purpose connected photo frames will be a small part of the connected home ecosystem. I say that because once you put a simple single purpose photo frame in a location you start thinking what else can I do with the frame.

Take this new device from GE that is also a landline phone with photo caller ID. This is a great example of a photo frame that adds value to another device in the home. Pandigital also makes one specifically for the kitchen that is a photo frame/TV but is also tied to the internet for recipe's. This is a display with a dual purpose but it is also specific to the room it is in, the kitchen, and adds value to what goes on in that room.

However it is not device that does everything. I feel that if a photo frame is sold that does to much it may not be successful. But if there is specific use cases that consumers can relate to and its functionality is simple then I feel they will be successful. The challenge for makers of these frames to move beyond general purpose frames and into more specific frames. This means they must design features and services that assume these displays will be used in a specific room for a specific purpose.

This is not the way OEM's tend to think however I feel it is a critical mental step if anyone wants to be successful in the future consumer connected digital ecosystem.