The MIT Press Chooses iPublishCentral to Propel its Digital Strategy
Readers Benefit from Expanded Choices as the MIT Press Enters E-Publishing Market at Low Cost and with Minimal Risk
New York, NY (Vocus) March 24, 2009
Impelsys (http://www. impelsys. com), a global leader in electronic content delivery solutions, today announced that The MIT Press has launched its e-book portal using iPublishCentral (http://www. ipublishcentral. com), which debuted at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2008. iPublishCentral offers publishers a fast, cost-effective, self-service solution to market, distribute and monetize traditional print content through electronic channels.
"Through iPublishCentral, The MIT Press has made a growing collection of e-books available to consumers at low cost and with minimal risk, two important features publishers are seeking in today's difficult economic times," said Sameer Shariff, CEO of Impelsys. "With iPublishCentral, publishers can reach wider audiences internationally, while allowing readers to sample or purchase specific sections of books, or even an entire book, online."
Since its launch, over 150 publishers have registered and used various components of iPublishCentral, and others have fully implemented the complete solution including Benchmark Education, Valiant Entertainment and the American College of Physicians. Each publisher was eager to explore e-publishing's potential for revenue generation, market reach and enhanced service to readers.
The MIT Press wanted a solution that would allow it to capitalize on new e-publishing technologies and provide superior search and research tools to readers. With iPublishCentral, The MIT Press discovered an innovative, efficient e-publishing tool that would allow it to experiment with varied market segments at a low price, sell backlist content in new, electronic formats, and avoid lengthy development cycles and costs associated with traditional online publishing (see http://mitpress-ebooks. mit. edu for iPublishCentral in action).
"The iPublishCentral platform allows us to meet our readers where they are: online," said Gita Manaktala, Marketing Director for The MIT Press. "It's given us a way to move our book content online without the investment of time or money that would be required to build such a platform ourselves. Impelsys's investment in state-of-the-art tools and technology allows us to deliver the content and functionality our readers want without becoming a technology company. We can focus on what we do best: publishing high-quality content for scholars and professionals in our core fields."
IPublishCentral provides a digital warehouse for storage of all MIT content and an end-user portal to deliver and monetize its e-books all through a self-service model. Among the features and functions of iPublishCentral are the creation of marketable content products and bundles, an administration system for managing content, users and subscriptions, an integrated e-commerce system, and a platform for creating Web-based viral marketing programs.
Readers benefit from iPublishCentral because they can retain the look and feel of a traditional print book, while relying on electronic features such as search, book marking, bookshelf and user personalization. The result is more convenience, choice and control.
The MIT Press has benefited from iPublishCentral's customized, branded interface, which enhances relationships with readers, as well as the tool's ability to enable monetization of backlist titles electronically. The MIT Press can now manage and control its offerings through a low-cost, self-service interface, while retaining the flexibility to experiment with varied pricing models at minimal risk.
For more information on iPublishCentral, please visit http://www. ipublishcentral. com
About Impelsys
Impelsys, a leader in providing electronic content delivery solutions to the global publishing market, helps its clients compete, evolve and grow in an increasingly complex marketplace. Impelsys-powered technologies like iPlatform™ and VirtualPages™ and solutions like iPublishCentral™ help publishers increase their revenues by delivering content online quickly and cost effectively. Impelsys' passion for client success has helped it build long-term partnerships with its customers becoming critical in the client's electronic delivery strategy. Leading clients include McGraw-Hill, Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Benchmark Education, Marshall Cavendish and Houghton Mifflin. Headquartered in New York, Impelsys operates across North America, Europe and India. For more information, please visit http://www. impelsys. com.
About the MIT Press
The MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA). MIT Press publishes professional, scholarly, and general interest titles in the fields of art & architecture, cognitive science, computing, design, economics, environmental science, life sciences, linguistics, new media, philosophy, and science & technology studies. The Press has published more than 8,000 books throughout its history and publishes about 200 books along with 30 journals every year. The MIT Press also operates the MIT Press Bookstore showcasing both its front and backlist titles, along with complementary works from other academic and trade publishers. For more information, please visit http://mitpress. mit. edu/main/home/default. asp.
Media Contact:
Christopher Capot
KNB Communications
212-505-2441; 203-379-8019 (mobile)
Ccapot(at)knbpr. com
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