| Adobe Systems, Inc. has announced the release of Adobe Content Server
3.0, an end-to-end software solution that enables the secure distribution
of Adobe PDF e-books. New Content Server 3.0 functionality makes it possible
for libraries to loan and distribute PDF-based e-books to patrons. Content
providers and businesses may also use Content Server 3.0 to offer digital
subscriptions of PDF content to consumers or employees. The new lending
features give distributors control over the number of people who access
content.
Thousands of PDF e-books from publishers such as HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill,
Rough Guides, Holtzbrinck Publishers, St. Martin's Press, and Farrar, Straus
and Giroux are already available. Libraries will be able to instantly deliver
these existing PDF e-books and other digital materials to patrons. According
to the announcement, the e-books are automatically checked in and out and
may be integrated with a library's existing catalog system, thus simplifying
management and eliminating extra work.
Through the library's Web interface, patrons use a simple process to
check out and receive e-books, but do not need to be connected to the Internet
to read them. Libraries can also set usage rules so e-books expire after
a certain amount of time or on a specified date. When the lending license
expires, the e-book is automatically disabled on the patron's computer
and is returned to the library catalog.
Through a browser-based interface, Adobe Content Server 3.0 links key
functions of the e-book supply chain for easy packaging, encryption, and
distribution of e-books over the Internet. The software works with existing
IT environments, enabling content owners and distributors to secure intellectual
property and tightly control digital rights and distribution. It also provides
protection for copyright holders by allowing them to set rights and permissions,
including whether content can be copied, printed, or lent to other readers.
To make it easy for libraries to add these new capabilities, Adobe has
teamed with library solutions providers ebrary, Baker & Taylor, Follett,
and netLibrary. These companies offer a turnkey solution that includes
technology, high-quality content, and complete integration services. Through
these providers, Content Server 3.0 can be easily integrated with a library's
existing IT infrastructure.
The Adobe Content Server is available through Adobe distributors such
as OverDrive and can also be licensed directly from http://ebooks.adobe.com.
Content-based pricing is a one-time fee of $5,000 for one Content Server
destination site that's capable of hosting 250 titles. Expansion packages
are $1,000 per additional 500 titles. ASP-based pricing is $10,000 for
the Content Server linked to one destination site that hosts an unlimited
number of titles. Additional destination sites for Content Server are $1,500
each. Upgrades to Content Server 3.0 from previous versions are also available.
Source: Adobe Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA, 800/833-6687; http://www.adobe.com. |
