Untethered eBook Content at Online
Jinfo Blog

By Nancy Davis Kho

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In the run-up to the Online Information show in December I received a timely email blast from exhibitor Aptara (http://www.aptaracorp.com) yesterday. The company, which provides Knowledge Process Outsourcing, will be at the show with a sneak-peek of its soon to be released eGen platform, which promises to make it easy to convert legacy and new eBook content into formats readable on a variety of platforms.

Untethering content from the device on which it's read is a high priority for readers as eReader usage moves to the mainstream, and newer device market entrants, like Barnes & Noble, are getting the message. Its highly anticipated Nook device, released this month, supports a variety of content formats including ePub and PDF, surely a move designed to up its appeal compared to the dominant Amazon Kindle, which uses a proprietary format.

While the action in the consumer market for eReaders is white-hot right now, enterprises aren't far behind. As usage moves mainstream in the consumer market, as is predicted for 2010, people who embrace a digital reading experience at home will begin to expect them in the office as well. (Remember when social networks were considered consumer-only models? Then LinkedIn came along.)

So companies would do well to begin preparing for the inevitable and study up on vendors like Aptara, who can help them convert digital assets into flexible eBook formats. It probably won't be long before clients say "Can I download that white paper/marketing brochure/customer help reference to my Kindle instead of having you email it to me?"

Attending Online Information 2009? (Or wish you could?) Complete our brief registration form, and we'll keep you informed about when and where you can meet with FreePint editorial and business staff, including VIP's product reviews editor, Nancy Davis Kho. We'll also send you a free copy of the FreePint Online Information Special Report, scheduled for publication in January 2010.

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