SINGAPORE Corbis, the leading global provider of digital images to both the consumer and creative professional markets, today announced the launch of its presence in Singapore, introducing its uniquely virtual service to the city’s image users. From image search to payment and fulfillment, Corbis’ virtual presence will enable consumers and creative professionals in Singapore to conveniently access its traditionally-licensed and royalty-free image library and service offerings entirely online at www.corbis.com. Corporate clients will have the added convenience of being able to purchase images online with pricing information calculated using Singapore dollars. Bruce Chesebrough, Corbis’ senior vice president for the creative professional market, said: “Singapore is easily the most technologically advanced market in Southeast Asia and it was a natural step for Corbis to establish a virtual presence here. Singapore clients are comfortable using technology and are also suitably enabled to do so with the high proliferation of broadband and support of government initiatives such as Singapore One. By localizing our services, we are able to maximize the potential of the local market, build brand visibility and shorten the distance between Corbis and Singapore clients.” Based on 2001 ad expenditure information from Zenith Media, Corbis estimates the size of the Singapore image market to be US$5.1 million. To further penetrate this lucrative market, Corbis has also signed on alt.TYPE as a local partner to distribute its royalty-free imagery as well as provide same-day image downloading and delivery support for those who may prefer offline assistance. alt.TYPE is a locally-owned company which provides services to the Singapore creative community to locate creative elements such as fonts, images, moving footage, sound effects and music. Comprehensive customer support also includes direct access to a Corbis customer sales/research representative by calling the Corbis Asia toll-free hotline at 800.852.3688. Corbis’ Singapore operations further solidify the company’s growing presence in the region. Last September, Corbis established its Asian headquarters in Hong Kong, followed by the opening of a viewing center in Kuala Lumpur in March of this year. Said Steve Davis, CEO of Corbis: “The launch of our Singapore operations is a reaffirmation of Corbis’ commitment to delivering the highest-quality digital imagery throughout the world. Establishing a local presence will allow us to create a sales and editorial environment that can respond promptly to the unique needs of creative professionals and provide support in digital workflow and delivery for our customers in Singapore and Southeast Asia.” In an effort to ensure that its image library contains a substantial volume of regionally relevant content, Corbis has already signed agreements with photographers in Asia to source and produce local imagery.