C I Host (www.cihost.com), a web hosting provider and software developer, announced on July 13, 2004 that it would give away the equivalent of a space shuttle cargo bay of “virtual film” to allow digital photographers to try out the latest version of its e-Memories On The Web service. The company said that it would send out promotional packages with a small translucent 35mm film canisters containing just the URL that consumers need to sign up for a trial. The service will give photographers and web enthusiasts of various expertises the opportunity to build their own websites and turn them into multimedia destinations. In addition, the service will provide built-in options for blogging, scrap-booking, digital genealogy, e-mail, instant messaging, recipes and more.
Christopher Faulkner, CEO of C I Host, said that users did not need film for a digital camera, so obviously the promotion was about a weightless cargo. However, he added that C I Host was serious about the offer to let anyone try e-Memories On The Web free of charge for 30 days.
