iUniverse.com and Microsoft Press to Offer Custom Books Program

Posted on May 16, 2001

iUniverse.com, a provider of digital publishing services, and Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Custom Books from Microsoft Press. Using iUniverse's digital content technology platform, customers on the Microsoft Press site can browse and compile individual chapters from selected titles as a single Custom Book, which can be delivered as a printed book or in electronic form. iUniverse launched a similar custom book program with Hungry Minds earlier this year.

``For technology professionals, it's not uncommon to seek a book with a specific issue in mind, only to find key information spread among several published titles,'' said James Mastan, director of the Professional Product Group at Microsoft Press. ``As a publisher of technical materials, the promise of custom publishing offers interesting prospects for our customers. By taking advantage of iUniverse's digital content technology platform, we can now offer customized packages of content and provide customers with the information they need in the format most convenient for them.''

Customers can view available Microsoft Press titles organized by topic or utilize the built-in search capabilities to identify the most relevant material. Once the desired chapters have been selected, users can organize the contents of their Custom Book and create their own title. Customers can then order their book as a printed and bound hard-copy book, as an ebook in Microsoft Reader LIT format, or as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Initially, customers will be able to select chapters from 35 titles in the categories of Windows 2000, Exchange 2000 Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Office 2000 and XML. Microsoft Press will make additional titles available based on customer feedback and preferences.

Microsoft Press will provide the content while working in concert with iUniverse to enhance the presentation and delivery of Custom Books. iUniverse will convert additional Microsoft content, manage it in its format-neutral repository, and offer technology and applications for customized delivery to Microsoft customers.