Webshots

Webshots is a digital photography brand whose current service centers on professional photo wallpapers and screensavers for desktop and mobile devices. The brand originated in 1995, when Auralis, Inc. created a sports-oriented screensaver product in San Diego, California. Its founders—Andrew Laakmann, Danna Stillman, Nick Wilder, and Narendra Rocherolle—later moved the product onto the Web, helping turn it into one of the early consumer photo-sharing services. The Webshots Community launched in 1999 with an emphasis on public photo sharing. This placed Webshots among the first online services to make personal image publishing and discovery a mainstream Web activity. Its business model combined advertising, premium memberships, software sales and bundling, sponsorships, branded downloads, registration partnerships, and physical merchandise such as prints and gifts. The service therefore operated both as a consumer media destination and as a subscription-supported software product. In October 1999, Webshots was sold to Excite@Home in a stock transaction valued at $82.5 million. After Excite@Home entered bankruptcy in late 2001, the founders bought the Webshots assets back for $2.5 million in cash. By 2001, the company was profitable. Its growth accelerated during the early-2000s expansion of consumer broadband and online communities. In 2004, Webshots was reported to have more than 200,000 paid subscribers, annual gross revenue of approximately $15 million, and a leading position among photo-sharing websites. CNET Networks acquired it that year for $71 million in cash. The competitive environment changed as specialized photo platforms gained traction. Flickr became closely associated with bloggers and online photographers, Facebook integrated photo sharing into university and social networking use, Photobucket became prominent among MySpace users, and SmugMug developed a paid-service orientation for family and professional photography. In autumn 2007, CNET sold Webshots to American Greetings for $45 million in cash. Webshots became part of American Greetings Interactive and was placed alongside Blue Mountain, another former Excite@Home property. American Greetings sold Webshots to Threefold Photos, Inc. in October 2012. The original image-hosting service was shut down on December 1, 2012. Threefold subsequently relaunched the brand as Smile by Webshots, although that photo-sharing incarnation was later discontinued. In May 2013, the company introduced Webshots Wallpaper & Screensaver, returning the brand to its original desktop-personalization purpose. The modern offering includes free trial software and a paid service with monthly and annual options. Subscribers receive access to a large professional-image gallery and regularly published photographs; the service has also been offered through Android and iOS applications. Webshots therefore remains active as a curated visual-content and personalization brand, but no longer operates the large-scale user photo-hosting service associated with its 1999–2012 period.

Webshots began in 1995 as a screensaver business created by Auralis, Inc. in San Diego, California. Its original product was oriented toward sports imagery and was sold through retail channels for desktop computers. Founders Andrew Laakmann, Danna Stillman, Nick Wilder, and Narendra Rocherolle later adapted the software and its image library for the Web. That transition made Webshots an early participant in the development of online photo sharing, before social networks made image publishing a standard consumer activity. The Webshots Community launched in 1999 and emphasized public sharing of photographs. In October of that year, Excite@Home acquired the company for $82.5 million in stock. The service continued to grow under the new ownership, but Excite@Home entered bankruptcy at the end of 2001. Webshots' founders then reacquired its assets for $2.5 million in cash and operated the business independently again. The independent company developed a diversified revenue model. It earned money from banner advertising, paid sponsorships, software bundling, branded downloads, advertising embedded in client software, co-registration arrangements, software sales, premium memberships, and the sale of prints and gift merchandise. By 2001 it was profitable. In 2004, Webshots was reported to generate about $15 million in annual gross revenue and have more than 200,000 paying subscribers. It was also described as the leading photo-sharing site at that time and as a top-50 media property by comScore. Alexa ranked it the second-largest English-language privately held Web media property in 2004, behind Weather.com. Webshots was acquired by CNET Networks in 2004 for $71 million in cash. Its market position subsequently faced pressure from services aimed at specific online communities and use cases. Flickr attracted bloggers and photographers, Facebook made photo sharing central to social networking, Photobucket became strongly associated with MySpace, and SmugMug focused on paid family-album and professional-photography customers. These changes helped shift the competitive basis of online photo sharing away from standalone destination sites. In autumn 2007, CNET sold Webshots to American Greetings for $45 million in cash. The brand joined American Greetings Interactive and was reunited within the broader corporate portfolio with Blue Mountain, another former Excite@Home property. During this period, Webshots continued to use advertising, premium services, software distribution, and digital personalization as parts of its commercial model. In 2010, bundling the Kiwee Toolbar with Webshots Desktop generated complaints about the toolbar's labeling and behavior. The toolbar was removed from the bundle in 2011. American Greetings sold Webshots to Threefold Photos, Inc. in October 2012. Two months later, on December 1, the original image-hosting service closed. Threefold attempted a photo-sharing continuation under the name Smile by Webshots, but that service did not remain in operation. In May 2013, Webshots was relaunched as Webshots Wallpaper & Screensaver, a return to the category in which the brand had started. The current model offers a free trial version and premium monthly or annual access to professionally curated photography, including regularly added images and a large gallery. Webshots has also offered applications for Android and iOS. Its later history is therefore defined by a transition from retail screensavers, to an early public photo-sharing network, and finally back to subscription-supported digital wallpapers and screensavers.

• 2013

  Wallpaper and screensaver relaunch

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Webshots returns to its original category with a desktop wallpaper and screensaver application.

• 2012

  Threefold Photos acquisition and service closure

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Threefold Photos acquires the brand, and the original image-hosting service closes on December 1.

• 2007

  American Greetings acquisition

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  American Greetings purchases Webshots from CNET for $45 million in cash.

• 2004

  CNET Networks acquisition

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  CNET Networks acquires Webshots for $71 million in cash.

• 2001

  Founders reacquire Webshots

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  The founders buy back the Webshots assets after Excite@Home enters bankruptcy.

• 1999

  Webshots Community launches

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  The brand moves onto the Web and launches a public photo-sharing community.

• 1999

  Acquisition by Excite@Home

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Excite@Home acquires Webshots in a stock transaction valued at $82.5 million.

• 1995

  Auralis creates Webshots

  [1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Auralis, Inc. creates Webshots in San Diego as a sports-oriented screensaver product for desktop computers.

A curated photography and desktop-personalization service built around professionally produced, high-resolution images rather than the user-hosting model that defined the earlier Webshots Community.

• Photo-sharing website · 1999

  Webshots Community

  The Webshots Community was the brand's public photo-sharing platform, launched in 1999. It allowed users to publish and share images online at a time when consumer photo hosting was still an emerging category. The service operated until the original image-hosting platform was closed in December 2012.

• Photo-sharing service · 2012

  Smile by Webshots

  Smile by Webshots was a later attempt by Threefold Photos to continue the brand's photo-sharing identity after the original image-hosting service closed. It was relaunched after the 2012 acquisition but is no longer available.

• Desktop personalization software · 2013

  Webshots Wallpaper & Screensaver

  Webshots Wallpaper & Screensaver is the brand's current core offering. The application provides high-resolution professional photographs for desktop backgrounds and screensavers on Windows and macOS. A free trial is available, while subscribers receive broader gallery access and regularly published imagery.

• Digital subscription

  Webshots premium service

  The premium service uses monthly and annual subscription options to provide access to the professional Webshots image gallery. The service is described as including new professional photographs and a larger collection than the free trial offering.

• Mobile application

  Webshots mobile applications

  Webshots has also offered mobile applications for Android and iOS, extending its photography and personalization proposition beyond desktop software.

• 2010

  Kiwee Toolbar bundling controversy

  American Greetings bundled the Kiwee Toolbar with Webshots Desktop. The distribution generated complaints because the toolbar was described by critics and some users as malware-like or insufficiently transparent in its labeling. The toolbar was unbundled from Webshots in 2011.

  Source

Read more

• 2013

  Return to wallpapers and screensaversStrategy

  Background

  The photo-sharing relaunch did not persist, while the original desktop-personalization association remained useful to the brand.

  Action taken

  Threefold Photos introduced Webshots Wallpaper & Screensaver with free and premium access to professional photography.

  Aftermath

  Webshots became a curated photography subscription and personalization service rather than a general-purpose image-hosting network.

  Source

• 2012

  End the original image-hosting serviceStrategy

  Background

  After Threefold Photos acquired Webshots from American Greetings, the long-running image-hosting operation was no longer maintained in its previous form.

  Action taken

  The original image-hosting service was shut down on December 1, 2012, followed by an attempted continuation under the Smile by Webshots name.

  Aftermath

  The user-photo-sharing chapter of the brand ended, and Webshots later returned to its earlier screensaver and wallpaper positioning.

  Source

• 1999

  Move from desktop software to Web photo sharingProduct launch

  Background

  Webshots began as a retail screensaver product, but the founders recognized that the Web could support public image publishing and community interaction.

  Action taken

  The company migrated its concept online and launched the Webshots Community.

  Aftermath

  The move made Webshots an early photo-sharing service and created a larger advertising, subscription, and merchandising business.

  Source

• 2013

  Webshots returns to wallpapers and screensavers[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Threefold Photos introduced Webshots Wallpaper & Screensaver in May 2013, repositioning the brand around desktop personalization and curated professional photography.

• 2012

  Threefold Photos acquires Webshots[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Threefold Photos acquired Webshots from American Greetings in October 2012.

• 2012

  Original Webshots image hosting closes[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The image-hosting service was shut down on December 1, 2012, after the acquisition by Threefold Photos.

• 2007

  American Greetings acquires Webshots from CNET[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  American Greetings bought Webshots from CNET in autumn 2007 for $45 million in cash and integrated it into American Greetings Interactive.

• 2004

  CNET Networks acquires Webshots[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  CNET Networks purchased Webshots for $71 million in cash as the photo-sharing service expanded its subscription, advertising, and merchandise businesses.

• 2001

  Webshots founders reacquire the assets after Excite@Home bankruptcy[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Bankruptcy

  Following Excite@Home's bankruptcy, Webshots' founders bought the service's assets back for $2.5 million in cash.

• 1999

  Webshots launches a public photo-sharing community[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Webshots expanded from desktop screensaver software into a public Web-based photo-sharing service, becoming an early example of online image publishing and community sharing.

• 1999

  Excite@Home acquires Webshots[1]Webshotsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Excite@Home acquired Webshots in October 1999 in a stock transaction reported at $82.5 million.

1. 1Webshotsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Webshots official websitewebshots.com