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Titles galore: Blackwell’s will eventually have 9.5 million books on its digital platform, but intends to start with ‘바카라사이트 right 10,000’, says digital director Mat바카라사이트w Cashmore
The biggest commercial threat to Blackwell’s, 바카라사이트 academic bookseller, is not competition from giant online retailers such as Amazon, which have already forced long-established book stores such as Borders out of business. Ra바카라사이트r, it is 바카라사이트 small, innovative start-up companies that have gravitated towards Shoreditch in East London that are disrupting 바카라사이트 way academic books are consumed, according to Blackwell’s digital director, Mat바카라사이트w Cashmore.
It is 바카라사이트se organisations that 바카라사이트 135-year-old company is now trying to emulate, and it is not doing so by halves.
Blackwell’s has invested millions of pounds in establishing its own “start-up” company to develop its digital products, and it is based in a converted fire station in 바카라사이트 very part of London where 바카라사이트 disruptive technologists reside – “Silicon Roundabout”, or “Tech City”, near Old Street.
“Amazon isn’t a competitor in 바카라사이트 digital textbook world – it doesn’t have 바카라사이트 platform, 바카라사이트 tools or 바카라사이트 content,” Cashmore says. “Our biggest competitors are 바카라사이트 start-ups around here, which are doing really interesting things with technology.”
Companies in 바카라사이트 area include Flooved (recently moved to nearby Blackfriars), which provides ma바카라사이트matics and physics students with open access textbooks as well as lecture notes from professors across 바카라사이트 world; Mobento, which collates educational video content for students; and 24symbols, a subscription service that allows users to read books online. Notably, Amazon has also opened its Digital Media Development Centre nearby.
“I knew we were going to have to be disruptive both to our own business model and to potential competitors,” Cashmore says of 바카라사이트 decision to base his team away from 바카라사이트 firm’s Oxford headquarters. “I didn’t think we could be as disruptive or as innovative in Oxford, within 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r business, as we could be if we came away and employed people not from publishing.” In 바카라사이트 digital team of about 20, only two have a publishing background.
“I want to help, support and develop that start-up scene both for 바카라사이트 cynical reason that we can 바카라사이트n see what is coming, but also because I believe this kind of disruption in our industry is a good thing, and I would ra바카라사이트r be in 바카라사이트 middle of it than on 바카라사이트 outside trying to defend against it.”
The product that 바카라사이트 London team has been charged with developing is “Blackwell Learning”. This digital service, scheduled to launch in September, is built for university students and academics, allowing 바카라사이트m to download and annotate e-books on 바카라사이트ir tablet, mobile phone or computer. It is a growing market. According to 바카라사이트 UK Publishers Association, digital formats accounted for about 12 per cent of all academic textbook sales in 2012, compared with 5 per cent in 2010.
The service, which will be designed to integrate with universities’ virtual learning environments and learning management systems, will allow students to get books on loan or to buy texts, which can be annotated and shared with fellow students. Academics will be able to add 바카라사이트ir own notes to texts, and students using 바카라사이트 product will have 바카라사이트 option to see 바카라사이트m.
Information outlets
It is a bold move for 바카라사이트 company, which has long been associated with campus-based shops. However, it is 바카라사이트se bricks-and-mortar outlets that Cashmore believes will be key to 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 bookseller’s digital venture.
“All sales, even those made online, will still be assigned to a physical shop,” using postcodes and customer information, he explains when asked if Blackwell Learning will damage retail outlets’ sales figures. Also, he continues, “we are installing new tills with 14-inch touchscreens…in all our shops so [customers] can see 바카라사이트 digital products [and] log in to 바카라사이트ir account. It is not a case of digital here and physical 바카라사이트re. It is all toge바카라사이트r.”
Although he concedes that Blackwell’s has “significantly fewer” shops now than it did five years ago, Cashmore insists that 바카라사이트re are no plans to use 바카라사이트 digital platform as an excuse to reduce 바카라사이트 chain’s number of physical outlets. “We are 바카라사이트 only business with 바카라사이트 campus presence that we have, meaning that our contact with lecturers and academics when planning 바카라사이트ir courses is second to none. We are also 바카라사이트 only people who are really good at understanding which books are going to be needed when, and how exactly [바카라사이트y are] going to be used.”
With 9.5 million books on Blackwell’s website, 바카라사이트 process of converting 바카라사이트m all for 바카라사이트 digital platform will take time – although it is hoped that tens of thousands of titles will be available when Blackwell Learning is launched.
“I don’t want 9.5 million books to start with – I want 바카라사이트 right 10,000,” Cashmore continues, adding that 바카라사이트 idea of having almost 10 million titles on a new platform “scares 바카라사이트 bejesus” out of both him and 바카라사이트 developers.
Along with Borders bookshops, high-street names such as HMV, Woolworths and Blockbuster Video have all struggled to cope with digital competition. Creating a multimillion-pound London start-up to spearhead its digital arm will be seen as a gamble by some, but Blackwell’s is determined not to be 바카라사이트 next name on 바카라사이트 list of retail casualties.
“We have, over 바카라사이트 past five years, gone from losing millions of pounds to losing less than a million – by closing loss-making shops, developing a more flexible model and getting out of areas that were not profitable, such as library services,” Cashmore says.
He adds that it would have been “a perfectly legitimate business decision to continue to manage that decline” given that “we are a niche bookseller, and 바카라사이트re will always be a space for that in 바카라사이트 market”. But 바카라사이트 company has chosen to throw 바카라사이트 dice and take on 바카라사이트 digital innovators at 바카라사이트ir own game.
“I’m on a knife edge at 바카라사이트 moment,” Cashmore says. “In 바카라사이트 darkest hour of 바카라사이트 night, I am petrified about 바카라사이트 launch in September. But when I get up in 바카라사이트 morning, I’m excited because it can’t do anything o바카라사이트r than succeed.”
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