Professional360 GmbH, the recently re-named company behind the Panono 360-degree camera and software solutions, has a new CEO. Thomas Escher has previously held a number of top-level management positions in media houses such as Axel Springer and ProSiebenSat.1 Media, and managed the French foreign business of the online toy retailer MyToys, among other roles.
“In Thomas Escher we have found a CEO with expertise both in media and entertainment and in classical e-commerce,” said a spokesperson of Bryanston Group AG, the company who has acquired the assets of Panono and has been running its business operations since July 2017.
With the new CEO at its helm, the company is adjusting its strategy, reducing the focus on hardware and towards customized 350-degree software solutions, with real-estate and construction two key target sectors. Escher explains:
108 megapixels make our camera the highest resolution 360 degree one-shot camera in the market. We will strive to uphold and extend this technological leadership in the future. However, today this is no longer enough: especially among professional users, there’s a growing demand for individual software, cloud and web applications. They desire a first-class virtual presence both for web and mobile applications, as well as the most innovative content solutions.
“At the moment, real estate is still very traditional in its structures and processes, but with digitization moving forward, there are dramatic changes ahead in the next years,” continues Escher. “For one of our customers, we have developed a tool to create virtual tours out of our 360 degree images and to link them to a floor plan. This way, complete houses can be viewed online. Our customers can offer their clients viewings that are independent as to both time and place.”
This is only the latest chapter in Panono’s brief but turbulent history, and a stark move away from the more traditional, consumer focused 360° camera industry Panono started in. We had several occasions to have a closer look and test the Panono camera and were impressed by the technology. Hopefully the new CEO and strategy can help get the company back on track, and push 360-degree imaging technology further.
Press Release
MORE THAN JUST A CAMERA: NEW PANONO CEO TO TRANSFORM THE OPERATIONS
– Thomas Escher new CEO of Panono
– New focus on software solutions and services for 360 degree photos
– Strong customer focus
Berlin, 15 February 2018 – In February 2018, Thomas Escher (36) joined Professional360 GmbH as the new CEO. Under the brand name Panono the company offers professional 360 degree photo solutions for businesses and professional users, including its own award-winning camera hardware and customized software, cloud solutions and web integration.
“In Thomas Escher we have found a CEO with expertise both in media and entertainment and in classical e-commerce,” said a spokesperson of Bryanston Group AG, the company who has acquired the assets of Panono and has been running its business operations since July 2017. Escher has held a number of top-level management positions in media houses such as Axel Springer and ProSiebenSat.1 Media, and, among others, managed the French foreign business of the online toy retailer MyToys. As the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the Allianz affiliate InstaMotion, an online dealer for second-hand cars, he
was responsible for marketing and sales activities.
From “technology first” to “customer first”
Panono aims to continue the expansion of 360 degree solutions. “108 megapixels make our camera the highest resolution 360 degree one-shot camera in the market. We will strive to uphold and extend this technological leadership in the future. However today this is no longer enough: especially among professional users, there’s a growing demand for individual software, cloud and web applications. They desire a first-class virtual presence both for web and mobile applications, as well as the most innovative content solutions”, explained Escher. “With this in mind we will further develop our platform, software
features and services, both independently and via sector-specific strategic partnerships. We have already implemented some exciting features, and there are more on the horizon.”
Focus on real estate and construction
Panono has been giving special attention to the real estate sector. “At the moment, real estate is still very traditional) in its structures and processes, but with digitization moving forward, there are dramatic changes ahead in the next years,” said Thomas Escher. “For one of our customers, we have developed a tool to create virtual tours out of our 360 degree images and to link them to a floor plan. This way, complete houses can be viewed online. Our customers can offer their clients viewings that are independent as to both time and place.” According to Escher, Panono also offers interesting possibilities
for construction and maintenance companies, for example when it comes to the documentation of building conditions and work progress.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)