Information Today
Volume 18, Issue 11 — December 2001
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Zinio Systems to Offer Digital Magazine-Publishing Service

Zinio Systems, Inc. has announced the launch of a new digital magazine-publishing service. Working closely with leading magazine publishers for more than a year, Zinio has developed a complete solution for transforming print editions of magazines into an interactive digital form that can be delivered via the Internet and accessed on both laptop and desktop computers.

The Zinio solution consists of production services that convert print magazines into digital form, offer a dedicated reading software application, and feature a comprehensive delivery system. According to the announcement, these services provide portability, easy navigation, and interactivity in a digital version that's identical to print.

In addition, the Zinio service, which will be formally launched early in the first quarter of next year, will make it easier for publishers to attract and retain readers, provide new opportunities for generating revenue through single-copy sales and enhanced advertising, and ultimately reduce manufacturing and distribution costs, according to the announcement. The company expects to have titles from the world's largest consumer and trade publishers available at the commercial launch.

"As one of the most compelling and trusted forms of content, magazines reach more people than any other form of media," said Kevin McCurdy, Zinio Systems' founder and CEO. "But the traditional methods of magazine marketing and distribution have become increasingly expensive, making it more and more difficult for magazine publishers to operate profitably. With Zinio's digital-magazine services, publishers will be able to take advantage of the efficiencies of electronic-based marketing and distribution while providing their readers with a familiar and trusted reading experience. This is a market poised for tremendous growth. Simply put, it's the future of magazine publishing."

Zinio has worked with IDEO, a product and user-interaction design provider, to create an experience that is claimed to be unmatched in simplicity and usability. Zinio is highly intuitive in mirroring the way readers experience print magazines, while providing tools and capabilities that are only possible with digital magazines, according to the company.

In developing its service, Zinio has worked closely with publishers to understand the important features of the magazine business. While nearly 98 percent of adults read magazines and billions of print magazine copies are delivered yearly in the U.S., publishers nevertheless face increasing pressures on profits. In addition to coping with a market crowded by an ever-growing number of titles, publishers are experiencing competition from other forms of media and rising costs for both manufacturing and distribution as well as reader acquisition and renewal. According to the company, Zinio will provide publishers with new ways to address these issues.

Zinio's complete digital magazine-publishing solution comprises the following three elements:

  • Zinio Production Services—Recast the layout and design of print magazines into digital magazines, taking them one step further by embedding interactivity and other features possible only in the digital medium

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  • Zinio Reader—The dedicated reading software application

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  • Zinio Delivery System—Automates the subscription-and-retrieval process and makes it possible for readers to purchase copies of current or back issues
The Zinio solution is designed to integrate with most existing magazine-production and work-flow systems. The service allows publishers to enhance their relationship with readers by providing tools that allow the publishers to better understand reader preferences and facilitate two-way communication. In addition, the Zinio solution lets publishers offer extended reach and new services to their advertisers. With support for a variety of media types, the Zinio format enhances advertisers' ability to communicate directly with their target audiences by enabling ads to come alive through Web hyperlinks and the integration of audio and video. According to the company, pass-along readership will provide extended reach and help boost ad impressions.

Readers will be able to subscribe to a wide variety of publications at http://www.zinio.com.

Source: Zinio Systems, Inc., Brisbane, CA, 415/494-2700; http://www.zinio.com.

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