Texterity's superior technology converts the printed page into vivid online text and imagery and adds reader-friendly features to appeal to today's growing market of online and mobile readers
inancial executive Chris Benjamin, marooned by an unexpected layover at LAX, settles into a vinyl seat near his departure gate and opens his laptop.
"I might as well catch up on my reading," he says, logging on to his email account. "The latest issue of the Journal of Commerce is delivered to my inbox each Friday. I love the convenience of being able to read it wherever I am, whenever I want. I wish all magazine publishers would get with the program."
Benjamin is one of a growing number of readers going online to peruse their favorite magazines. In a society where people are used to getting real-time information, digital editions arrive quicker, are environmentally friendly and are accessible from anywhere in the world.
Consumer magazine publishers aren't the only ones taking notice: B2B publishers, Academic publishers, Association publishers and other membership organizations are turning to digital editions.
"When we offered a digital edition option to renewing international members, 60% opted in", commented Elise Swinehart, Associate Director of Marketing and Exhibits for the American Chemical Society. "The response rate completely exceeded our expectations. It's great, because digital editions cost a fraction of what it costs to deliver a print copy. And people want the convenience and the timeliness of digital editions which arrive a lot faster than do printed copies."
Begun in 1991, Texterity is the technological leader in digital magazine publishing, with a history of technical firsts, roots in the publishing industry and unmatched, ever-evolving product features that keep it at the forefront of industry innovation.
The iPhone and iPod touch are good examples. Unlike its competitors, Texterity's technology is fully compatible with the browser that powers these products. Users of the iPhone or iPod touch can immediately access any Texterity digital edition, without needing a special add-on or Flash plug-in. In an industry driven by immediacy and simplicity, Texterity is the only company that offers the iPhone interface.
The superior technology behind Texterity's digital editions is called Published Web Format (PWF), a plug-in, web-based solution, which means it works fast, regardless of the browser the reader may be using, and doesn't require the reader to download additional software, like Adobe(R) Reader. Competitive technologies all require plug-in solutions and are slow by comparison, requiring the reader to wait while images are downloaded to the screen.
But speed, immediacy and global accessibility are only the minor advantages present in Texterity's superior technology from the reader's perspective. By far, Texterity's PWF produces outstanding visual quality that rivals the color, clarity and impact achieved only by the traditional printing press.
"Subscriber response has been fantastic!" reported Dan Woods, Associate Publisher of Make magazine. "After only two editions, over 40% of eligible subscribers opted in to receive their copy via digital edition. They certainly wouldn't have done that if the online experience had been a poor substitute for the print copy."
Readers find a lot to like about Texterity's digital editions. Many publishers and advertisers embed video, sound and background music, making stories and ads come alive in a way print editions can't. Readers can search for topics in the issue, or click on links and be transported to publishers and advertisers web sites. Texterity also enables readers to clip pages and save them, or even forward them to share ideas and information with their friends.
The heightened interactivity of readers is paying off big for Texterity's clients and their advertisers. "Digital magazine readers are highly engaged with the content and advertising in their digital editions," commented Martin Hensel, President of Texterity, Inc. " In a 2010 survey, 90% of digital magazine readers reported taking action with an advertised product or service, with the majority - 65% - visiting the advertiser's web site."
Texterity's history is studded with examples of industry innovation and patents for its technological firsts. In 2000, after almost a decade of leadership in the ebook market, Texterity created "TextCafe," the first system to enable automated conversion of PDF files into structured XML. In 2002, Texterity exited the ebook market and created "PWF", the proprietary technology for digital editions, which remains the source of its technical superiority today. In 2008, Texterity launched Coverleaf, an online, digital newsstand with more than 75 magazine titles and growing. Today, Texterity has the expertise to build native mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
The Final Test: An Exceptional Reader Experience
For Chris Benjamin, the convenience of having the Journal of Commerce delivered directly to his inbox was the advantage that got him started, but it isn't the one that keeps him logging on.
"I don't feel I'm losing anything by reading this magazine online," he admitted. "I can still browse page-by-page, as I would the printed version. It's vibrant and easy to read, and I can react to what I'm reading, forwarding important articles to my colleagues."
"But I guess if I felt the experience was lacking say, the articles were hard to read or it took forever for the photos to load I might not be so positive about it. I guess it's all in the execution, isn't it?"
Indeed, it is.
Learn more about the features and advantages of Texterity digital editions or get in touch with Texterity.
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