HP has decided that if it’s too hot in the dark room, leave and get someone else to do your digital snappers for you.

HP figures that designing and manufacturing its own digital cameras is no longer a profitable game and has started hunting around for an OEM firm to take over. In a press release that reads almost like a job advert, the company said:

“HP is currently working to identify an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner that would be licensed to design, source and distribute digital cameras under the HP brand. HP will continue selling its own cameras through the holiday season and intends to have the partnership arrangement in place in the first half of 2008.

This shift in strategy is intended to enable HP to accelerate its investment in Print 2.0 initiatives. These include furthering HP's leadership position in home photo printing and online photo services, while accelerating the company's retail photo-finishing business.”

In other words, there will still be HP-branded cameras, just not HP cameras. Pretty much like most consumer digital cameras once you get past the badge.-Martin Lynch