Xerox, Bertelsmann Team Up to Address Book-on-demand Market

Posted on October 15, 1999

Xerox Corporation has announced a partnership with Bertelsmann Arvato AG, an international book producer. At a press conference at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair, the companies announced that they will work together to deploy digital print-on-demand technology worldwide. The partnership will develop a digital book printing infrastructure that will allow Bertelsmann to use the Xerox' digital book publishing solutions for cost-effective short run books, review copies, reprints and out-of-print books.

"This represents a major milestone for the digital book industry," said Pierre Danon, president of Xerox Europe. "When a company like Bertelsmann takes a direction like this, it not only signifies the maturity of digital books as a technology but also as a commercial imperative."

Digital book production has been a specialized market. It accounted for only about 5 percent of the total global book publishing and printing market, which in 1998 reached $54 billion (US$) -- an increase of 4.5 percent over 1997, according to Charles M. Corr, director of On Demand Publishing & Printing Service for CAP Ventures, a leading worldwide document technology strategy and consulting firm.