Microsoft and Barnes & Noble to Create eBook Store

Posted on January 7, 2000

barnesandnoble.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have announced that they will create a barnesandnoble.com eBook store using Microsoft Reader software. The eBook initiative, announced at the 2000 International CES, will provide barnesandnoble.com's customers with access to thousands of eBook titles through Microsoft Reader. Microsoft Reader is a new software application designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience.

barnesandnoble.com and Barnes & Noble Inc. have both signed agreements with Microsoft to develop and market the eBook store. barnesandnoble.com will create the eBook store on its website by mid-2000, offering titles that will run on Microsoft Reader software. Barnes & Noble will aggressively market the new eBook store through promotional activities in its retail bookstores nationwide.

"The combination of barnesandnoble.com's online strength and Barnes & Noble's dominant retail presence will make Microsoft Reader available to tens of millions of book consumers in a matter of months," said Dick Brass, vice president of technology development for Microsoft. "Barnes & Noble invented modern book retailing. We can't think of any other distribution channel that has such combined power and brand awareness."

"This collaboration is a concrete declaration of support by two industry leaders for the future of eBooks," said Steve Riggio, vice chairman of Barnes & Noble. "We envision a time in the not too distant future when there will be electronic versions of virtually every book in print. The technology of Microsoft Reader provides a superior reading experience for existing content and, as important, will generate an exciting wave of electronic publishing that will go far beyond books. barnesandnoble.com plans to be at the center of what will surely be a huge market for digital content of all types."