Ingram Book Group Strengthens Foothold in Digital Publishing Space

VitalSource Technologies, Inc., developer of the most advanced e-book software, the VitalSource BookShelf, today announced that one billion e-books have been distributed using the company’s pioneering format, VitalBook. This milestone represents the largest number of commercial e-book titles distributed in a single format.

Designed to significantly enhance the experience of using books in digital environments, VitalBooks offer a unique platform for organizations looking to enrich content with advanced search, cross-referencing, note taking and now note sharing capabilities. VitalBooks are easily managed, sorted and searched through a robust, user-friendly interface designed specifically to handle libraries of content. VitalBooks are equally well suited for the digitization of standard text and long, graphic-intensive titles, making it an ideal fit for textbook publishers.

“No other e-book format has achieved such widespread adoption,” commented Frank Daniels III, president and CEO of VitalSource. “This milestone further validates our company’s business model, built not only on the commitment to develop advanced digital publishing technologies, but also on the ability to collaborate with companies with distinct needs to deliver the best solution for their businesses.”

Founded in 1994, VitalSource has partnered with publishers, education institutions, school districts and computer manufacturers to enable these organizations to deploy digital publishing strategies tailored to their markets. Publishers, retailers and educational institutions have been able to commercialize e-books in the VitalBook format employing a variety of marketing strategies. Examples include the distribution of single titles, individual chapters and collections of content to existing wholesale, reseller and end-user markets.

“VitalSource has enabled a major computer manufacturer to enhance their offering to colleges and universities with a library of some of the most important scientific and literary works in the public domain,” said Daniels. “In addition to a first-class computer, college students can now benefit from the access to an interactive snapshot of the world of ideas that includes the works of Aristotle and Shakespeare,” he added.

Another reason why the VitalBook format has enjoyed wide acceptance among such diverse constituencies as publishers, academic institutions and retailers, is the platform’s approach to digital rights management (DRM). VitalBook offers publishers robust DRM protection while ensuring that end-users benefit from the collaboration fostered in digital environments. In short, VitalSource’s technology provides copyright protection without burdening the end-user.

For more information on VitalBooks please visit: http://www.vitalsource.com/index/vbk

About VitalSource Technologies, Inc.

Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, VitalSource is a leading provider of technology solutions for e-book publishing and distribution. The company enables publishers, distributors and other partners to create and deliver textbooks and other content directly to users' computers in its proprietary VitalBook (*.vbk) file format under a variety of scenarios, ranging from custom curriculum solutions to private-label bundled products, as well as single textbook and promotional content delivery to students and faculty in both secondary and post-secondary educational settings. VitalSource is a division of Ingram Digital Group. For more information visit www.vitalsource.com

About Ingram Digital Group

Ingram Digital Group is an operating division of Ingram Industries Inc. and provides publishers and other content owners with a comprehensive offering of digital content accession, storage, management and distribution services. Ingram Digital Group along with its group companies MyiLibrary and VitalSource Technologies provides a full-service array of digital solutions and support. The Ingram companies - including Ingram Digital, Ingram Book Group and Lightning Source Inc. - provide a broad range of physical and digital services to the industry. For more information, visit www.ingramdigital.com

Media Contact
Mariana McCulley
Largemouth Communications (on behalf of VitalSource)
+1 919.341.0655
mariana@largemouthpr.com