SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/20/12 -- BeFunky, the world's easiest, most powerful photo editing application, today announced its predictions for 2013 regarding the visual web, digital camera market and the major adoption of photo editing applications. These predictions are bolstered by already emerging trends and by BeFunky's own interactions with users, partners, analysts and industry luminaries around the world.

BeFunky's top predictions for 2013 are:

2013 will be the year of the visual web.
As shown by Facebook's acquisition of Instagram earlier this year, the web is seeing a dramatic shift to becoming more and more visual. Major industry developments have both reflected and spearheaded this change, including Facebook's move to the Timeline model and the emergence of Pinterest as the fastest growing website in history. These leading websites and others are quickly becoming a new destination for large corporations like Microsoft and Salesforce. In 2013, we can expect to see even more companies move to a visual business model as use of infographics, photo contests, and other visual marketing tools continues to abound. Companies that focus on providing a visual element to their audiences will both succeed and drive new shifts in the web's emerging photo ecosystem.

Smartphones will continue to power the collapse of the digital camera.
The advancements in smartphone technology are currently presenting the greatest challenge to the camera industry in the history of photography. As smartphone cameras have vastly matured over the past few years, they are continuing to replace the use of traditional cameras altogether. In the year ahead, we can expect to see a continued drop in sales reports for traditional compact cameras. This segment of the market will continue to collapse unless camera manufacturers can counter with a true game changer that successfully captures the attention of the masses.

Major adoption of photo editing tools.
New tools that simplify the digital photo editing process will continue to see major consumer adoption and will challenge the dominance of complicated, over-priced software packages and professional services. Photo editing tools will become more and more user-friendly, and their features will continue to extend beyond consumer expectations. Additionally, consumers will begin to seek out more creative options as the effects that have been popular these past few years become played out.

Expect major acquisitions.
We anticipate the continuation of several high-profile acquisitions in the photo editing space, as 2012's acquisitions of Instagram by Facebook and Snapseed by Google were just the tip of the iceberg. As major companies begin to recognize the power of the visual web and the crucial role of photo editing tools, things will continue to heat up in M&A and valuations will be expected to rise.

Supporting Quote
"In the age of the visual web, we are seeing more images and videos across the web than ever before. Seriously, photos are everywhere you look!" said Tekin Tatar, CEO of BeFunky. "We expect to see loads of activity in the photo editing and photo sharing space and it's going to be a lot bigger than Pinterest or Instagram. In 2013, we will not only experience major innovation, but we can also expect to see some large acquisitions."

BeFunky recently announced a major product upgrade with new editing features and an improved, interactive BeFunky gallery. The new version of the app offers users the ability to stack an unlimited number of effects on mobile devices, new editing capabilities for enhanced artistic control, and a seamless photo editing experience across multiple devices and platforms. Key features include:

• Unlimited Stacking of Effects
• Expanded Editing Features
• Ability to Undo Edits
• More Filters Than Ever
• New Interactive Photo Gallery

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Supporting Resources

• BeFunky
• BeFunky Gallery
• BeFunky on Twitter
• BeFunky on Facebook
• BeFunky on YouTube
• BeFunky Press Kit

About BeFunky
Founded in 2007 by engineers and cartoonists with a unique desire to integrate art with technology, BeFunky's photo editor app for web and mobile provides a fun, easy-to-use, multiple platform tool letting you turn ordinary pictures into incredible works of art. With hundreds of features on the BeFunky website and mobile device application, anything from simple adjustments to mind-bending effects is at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. BeFunky is more than just an app: It's a digital dream come true for people ready to get creative with their photos at home or on-the-go. With the BeFunky photo editor at your disposal, how far you take your creativity is completely up to you!

Headquartered in San Francisco, BeFunky currently has more than five million active monthly users from all over the globe. For more information, please visit www.befunky.com.

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