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DxO Acquires Nik Collection, Releases DxO PhotoLab
25 October 2017
DxO has announced the acquisition of the Nik Collection from Google. The company said it plans to continue development of the suite of plug-ins, which Google had recently sunsetted to widespread lamentation.
"We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family," said Jerome Meniere, CEO and founder of DxO. "DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions and we will continue to do so with Nik's tools, which offer new creative opportunities to many photographers.
"The new version of our flagship software DxO OpticsPro, which is available as of now under its new name DxO PhotoLab, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U Point technology."
The company has dedicated a Web site to the Nik Collection, where it can be downloaded at no charge. A note on the site says, "The new 'Nik Collection 2018 Edition' will be released mid-2018, please leave your email address below to be informed when it's available."
To download the new PhotoLab, the company explained the process:
Please log into your online account with us and click on the upgrade link for DxO PhotoLab. The system will walk you through the upgrade process and compute your discounted cost based on the version of DxO OpticsPro you currently own, your location and if any promotional pricing is in effect when you purchase the upgrade to DxO PhotoLab.
NACK COMMENTS
Google's John Nack commented on the acquisition in a blog entry today:
Having known them as Photoshop developers, I was always a big fan of the Nik crew & their tech. (In fact, their acquisition by Google was instrumental in making me consider working here.) I wanted to acquire them at Adobe and I was always afraid that Apple would do so & put U Point into Aperture!
The desktop plug-ins, however, were never a great fit for Google's mobile/cloud photo strategy and other than Analog Efex, none had been improved since 2011 (more than a year before Google acquired them). I know that Aravind Krishnaswamy (badass photog, Photoshop vet, eng manager for Google Photos) and other went many extra miles to find a good new home for the Nik Collection and I'm really excited to see what DxO can do with it. On behalf of photographers everywhere, thanks guys!
For more information see the news release below.
DxO Acquires Nik Collection Assets From Google and Plans to Continue to Develop the Collection for the Benefit of the Photographer Community.
PARIS -- DxO, one of the most innovative companies in consumer imaging, today announces the acquisition of the Nik Collection assets from Google.
DxO plans to continue development of the Nik Collection. The current version will remain available for free on DxO's dedicated Web site, while a new version is planned for mid-2018.
"The Nik Collection gives photographers tools to create photos they absolutely love," said Aravind Krishnaswamy, an Engineering Director with Google. "We're thrilled to have DxO, a company dedicated to high-quality photography solutions, acquire and continue to develop it."
"We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family," said Jerome Meniere, CEO and founder of DxO. "DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions and we will continue to do so with Nik's tools, which offer new creative opportunities to many photographers. The new version of our flagship software DxO OpticsPro, which is available as of now under its new name DxO PhotoLab, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U Point technology."
About the Nik Collection
The Nik Collection is composed of seven desktop plug-ins for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop that provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities. The current lineup of the Nik Collection includes:
- Analog Efex Pro: Applies film-era camera, lens and film simulations to digital images
- Color Efex Pro: A comprehensive set of filters for color correction, retouching and creative effects
- Dfine: Noise reduction software for camera-specific digital images
- HDR Efex Pro: Specialized program for processing HDR pictures
- Sharpener Pro: Image sharpening for digital images
- Silver Efex Pro: Black & White conversion of images with darkroom-inspired controls
- Viveza: Selectively adjusts image color and tonality without complicated masks or selections
About DxO
For well over a decade, DxO has been developing some of the world's most advanced image processing technologies, which have enabled over 400 million devices to capture the highest quality images achievable. DxO designs and manufactures the DxO One, a connected, miniaturized and pro-quality camera for iPhone and iPad that has revolutionized the world of mobile photography. DxO also develops DxO PhotoLab, previously DxO OpticsPro, as well as other image processing software for Mac and PC, all of which have been acclaimed by top photographers the world over.