Macmillan parent opens digital repository

Holtzbrinck Group, the parent company of scientific and business journal publisher Macmillan is to develop a searchable online repository for digital book content, which will be made available to other publishering companies. The facility, provisionally called BookStore, will offer services ranging from a basic digital storage facility to branded "interfaces" for e-commerce.

Publishers will then be able to sell their material in various digitalformats to users, and will have the option of making content accessible to search engines such as Google and Yahoo . Germany based Holtzbrinck hopes it will appeal to trade publishers that are keen to exploit digital opportunities, but are loathe to invest heavily in proprietary systems or to surrender control of copyright material - a point of issue with Google.

Richard Charkin, Macmillan c.e.o. and director of the Holtzbrinck Group, told IWR sister title The Bookseller: "Services such as Google Print have shown what can be done for books and we are keen to build on this by offering a range of services to our publishers, from basic search and display to marketing and e-commerce."

According to Jayne Marks, c.e.o. of global operations at Macmillan Publishing Services, the move opens facilities to trade publishers that have long been enjoyed in the STM market. "The emphasis is on giving control overcontent back to the publisher," she said. Macmillan Publishing Services provides software services to specialist publishers.

The plans were welcomed by Google Print . Senior product manager Adam Smith said: "We are pleased to see publishers moving more into the digital environment, and welcome all efforts to make more content digital and searchable."

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!