Industrial camera manufacturer IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH and Stemmer Imaging Ltd. of Tongham, England, have decided to end their partnership. The companies said the market landscape for industrial cameras has changed in recent years and that their goals "have become less aligned." "The focus of the two companies is moving in different directions," said Stemmer Imaging CEO Christof Zollitsch. "That's why we, like IDS, are convinced that our customers will ultimately benefit most from each company focusing on its individual strengths." Stemmer Imaging for many years has used IDS products in its machine vision systems sold in Great Britain, France and Scandinavia. IDS now plans to expand its bases in Britain and France and to invest in the Scandinavian market. The companies will continue their cooperation for the next two years to assist customers through the transition, and said they would continue to collaborate on future customer-specific projects. "Separation always comes with a taste of failure, but I want to emphasize that wasn't the case this time," said IDS CEO Torsten Wiesinger. "Even now, we continue to work together very harmoniously and successfully. Despite that, market forces have dictated this next step. We believe this is the only way to ensure that our customers remain front and center. And this will serve as a basis for the future growth of both companies."