Camera Cellphones and Rochester

Connecting some dots here about a company that appears to be doing all the right things in a market that is obviously on the way to becoming enormous.

New Scale Technologies of Victor manufactures miniature ceramic motors for use in cellphones with built-in digital still cameras. The motors are needed to power zoom lenses. The first generation of the phones contained static lenses but that is starting to change.

Anyway, last month New Scale signed a licensing agreement with Tamron Co. Ltd. of Japan. Tamron will be using New Scale's motors in optical imaging assemblies. Tamron is a significant provider of photographic lenses and accessories. The agreement transforms New Scale out of the start-up phase.

All of this comes as the market for cameraphones continues to explode, according to a new study. Lyra Research of Boston is predicting that the number of cameraphones will reach 1.5 billion by 2010. Cameraphones have already exceeded the combined sales of digital and film cameras.

New Scale is located in Victor.