With a surge of demand for digital cameras from public organizations such as the National Police Agency, fire stations, and educational organizations, digital camera vendors including Sony Korea, Samsung Techwin, Kodak Korea, and Olympus Korea are competing to take more orders from the procurement authority.

In addition to procurement of 3,800 units of digital cameras for these public agencies in the second half of last year, the Supply Administration is set to offer a competitive bid on December 26 to purchase 3,500 units of digital cameras during the first half of next year.

In the new tender, the supply authority plans to procure digital cameras in three different categories, including 3 million pixels, 5 million pixels, and higher than 6 million pixels with single lens replacing mode.

Sony Korea, which supplied more than 800 units of 5 million-pixel digital cameras to public organizations during the latter half of this year, is poised to participate in the tender for three different categories of products.

Having supplied the largest volume of digital cameras with 3 million and 5 million pixels to public organizations in the latter part of this year, Olympus Korea intends to join the bids not only for these low and medium-resolution digital cameras but also for high-resolution products with higher than 6 million pixels.

Kodak Korea, which registered as a supplier of 3 million-pixel digital cameras with the administration in the latter half of this year, plans to join the tender to supply 3 million and 5 million-pixel products next year.

"A total of 12 digital camera vendors are expected to compete in the tender to register with the procurement authority as suppliers for the first half of next year," said an industry observer.