LAWRENCE, KS,
Feb. 23, 2011
(Press Release) -
The expectations of readers today, especially those who read scholarly and special-interest publications, are rapidly changing as new technology is introduced to consumers. The advent of e-readers, smartphones, and tablets in the marketplace has ushered in a new era in publishing. Possibilities for the delivery and consumption of content have expanded in ways unimaginable only several years ago, making accessibly even more important. As publishers explore exciting new opportunities in multichannel delivery and seek to respond to the changing needs and preferences of readers, Allen Press helps them navigate this new terrain with its two newest services.
Using the Allen Press eBook service, publishers can efficiently repurpose their articles, issues, and books for use on mobile and handheld devices, gaining greater visibility for their brand and opening up potential new markets. The creation of this additional deliverable integrates easily into an existing print or online publishing workflow as post pagination content in PDF or XML formats is seamlessly converted to ePub or Mobipocket. ePub is a file format developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). It's supported on most standard devices such as the iPad, iPhone, Sony Reader, Nook, and Kobo. Mobipocket is the proprietary file format used on the Amazon Kindle.
Gerald Lillian, CEO, sees the eBook service as a natural extension of other core services offered by Allen Press. "We've been partnering with societies and organizations for more than 75 years," Lillian said, "and we're dedicated to creating services that our customers need in order to adapt to technological change and evolve with their members, authors and readers."
Mobile tags, also referred to as 2D tags/barcodes, QR codes, and snap tags, are two-dimensional barcode images displayed on a surface such as a poster, flyer, card, store window, or page of a publication. Scanning the tag with the built-in camera and free reader app on a smartphone links the user to websites and online content. These tags have been in use in Japan since 1994, where they were originally designed to track Toyota auto parts. In the past year, mobile tagging has made a significant impact in the world of advertising and promotion and is now beginning to gain traction in the scholarly and special-interest publishing markets.
The Allen Press 2D Tags service offers an innovative new approach for publishers looking to create synergy and add value to their content by integrating the permanence of print with the agility of mobile. "This emerging technology opens up a world of possibilities," said Tim Cross, a Product Manager at Allen Press. Tags can link from a printed page to a variety of resources, including the society or journal website, preprints, supplementary data, post publication comments, or membership and subscription renewal information. Allen Press assists with the creation, handling, and editing of tags and works with publishers to determine the most effective placement and use in their publication or project. "Some are looking at placing tags in their publications to create a richer and more dynamic reader experience," added Cross. "Others recognize the benefit of including these in printed marketing pieces and conference materials or embedding them in ads to increase their effectiveness. We're definitely seeing an interest in adding an interactive component to print."
