IPIX Virtual Tours, IPix Bankruptcy News, IPix File Access Errors

IPIX Virtual Tours - August 4, 2006

Recently many surprised internet users have been noticing that a mass amount of iPix virtual tours on the world wide web that use the iPix viewer are failing to load or are giving iPix file access errors. The cause of this was soon known when iPix, the company who catered their 360-degree imaging services to various Internet companies, officially filed for bankruptcy and subsequently ceased operations. Unfortunately for many of their clients, once they closed for good, much of the content the iPix software had created for many companies over the years died as well. Now many former iPix clients are receiving complaints from customers who cannot view the content.

With many pages now giving users iPix file access error messages or simply sitting quietly refusing to load iPix virtual tours at all, companies are upset, wondering why this happened and how they get their content working again. The problem is when you visit a site using iPix virtual tours, your computer will check to see if you have the iPix viewer (required to view iPix virtual tours). If so the content will load as intended. If not you will be sent to the iPix website to download their viewer. However, now that the iPix website has been shut down, you can't get to their site. Any computer that does not have the iPix software installed will never have it installed and iPix-created content will not be viewable.

This appears to be some fallout from the 90's "Internet Boom." With many fledgling Internet companies seeking flashy and interactive ways to display their content, iPix virtual tours became a hot commodity. Sadly, clients had to assume this company would survive forever else their content would be directly and adversely affected. Perspective and time has taught some while others are having to learn the hard way; it's preferable to go with the trusted, well-established technology when it comes to developing and viewing your interactive virtual tours. Quicktime and Java are the two most used and popular products when it comes to viewing virtual tours. QuickTime is owned by Apple. It isn't going anywhere. Java is owned by Sun Microsystems. It isn't going anywhere.

Example of QuickTime Virtual Tour
Example of Java Virtual Tour

Many of these unfortunate companies, having been left in the cold by iPix, will need to reassess their interactive content delivery, and will now be extra careful about their decision. As they should. Studio360 highly recommends going the route of using either QuickTime of Java in the future. We use both technologies when building our interactive content to ensure that none of our clients are ever facing the dilemma some of iPix's clients are facing today. Flashy and impressive content is a great thing to have on your website and will make your visitors happy, but only if it works.