Apple’s recent announcement that its “App Store” will no longer permit external mechanisms for purchases, such as “buy now” buttons and other external links (as reported by CNN on July 25, 2011), is the latest chapter in a string of moves by market leaders to impose limitations on how merchants can do business. Cathedral Rock Publishing believes it is only a matter of time before at least some merchants get fed up with these prohibitive restrictions and seek out distributors who are more focused on customer needs.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 31, 2011
Apple’s recent announcement that its “App Store” will no longer permit external mechanisms for purchases, such as “buy now” buttons and other external links (as reported recently by CNN), is the latest chapter in a string of moves by market leaders to impose limitations on how merchants can do business.While App Store merchants, including book distributor heavyweight, Amazon, have been quick to comply, independent multimedia eBook distributor, Cathedral Rock Publishing, believes it is only a matter of time before at least some merchants get fed up with these prohibitive restrictions and seek out distributors who are more focused on customer needs rather than lining their pockets.
For more information, go to http://CathedralRockPublishing.com.
“It is somewhat bizarre when you look at the how well the iPad leverages ePub standards, and at the same time, the App Store nullifies those same standards,” says Cathedral Rock Publishing’s co-founder, John David Balla. “This squashing of the iPad’s capabilities by the App Store makes us even more committed to distributing multimedia eBooks without restrictions.”
In fact, Cathedral Rock Publishing’s “Book is the Store” application – not to be confused with an App Store “app” – is designed specifically so that multimedia eBook authors and publishers can fully leverage the capabilities of the iPad and other digital tablets, including providing external links to supplemental content.
“We see the multimedia eBook as much more than just a book,” says Balla. “Potentially it’s a micro-portal or gateway to additional information, products, and services. Services the publisher knows the reader is interested in, by virtue of the fact that the reader has already purchased an eBook dealing with specific subject matter. Whether merchants decide to provide external links for the purpose of selling additional products or services, or just do so free of charge, is entirely up to them. Cathedral Rock subscribes to the ‘disintermediation model’ that removes the middleman whenever possible and allows buyers and sellers to interact more efficiently and cost effectively.”
Over the past few decades, hardware and software companies’ attempts at closed architecture and business models have ultimately failed, in part because the main thrust of the Internet has always been one of an open framework, both technologically and commercially. Still, some market leaders, driven by an appetite for even greater dominance, occasionally stray from what consumers demand, namely more flexible and convenient products and services.
“Cases in point,” explains Balla. “Try to buy a song on your iPad that isn’t from iTunes. You can’t. It just won’t download. Or try to buy an eBook on your Kindle that isn’t from Amazon. Again, you can’t. Not because it can’t be done. Only because both companies force you to buy from them. We don’t think these kinds of restrictions are sustainable in the long run.
“Back in the 80s, we had Wang computers in our office,” continues Balla. “They were totally proprietary computers and now they’re gone. Today we see similar attempts to force people to do things ‘the vendor’s way.’ But people don’t like to be forced to do anything. At least, that’s what we’re betting on.”
In the meantime, Cathedral Rock Publishing continues to offer unrestricted multimedia eBooks to consumers that bypass the App Store entirely, seamlessly downloading directly to the iPad’s bookshelf. Only time will tell if Apple will deny access to non-App Store eBooks. But if the recent restriction on external linking in the App Store is any indicator, consumer demands may be on a collision course with increasingly uncompromising vendors.
For more information, go to http://www.CathedralRockPublishing.com.
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Stephen Smoke
Cathedral Rock Publishing
310-704-8877
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