Dear Fellow IDPF Members,

Here is my submission for the IDPF Board of Directors position.

I have been following the good work being done by IDPF very keenly over the last few years.  The EPUB standard is causing a revolution in the e-Book industry and IDPF and all the members needed to be lauded for the fantastic work.  I come from a technology background (started my career with manufacturing of computersJ) and have been in the publishing industry since late 80’s.  I started my publishing career in India through a company founded by me and later on joined hands with Aptara (earlier known as Techbooks) to continue to build a future for myself in the content space.  I got involved with SGML in early 90’s with IEEE and since then have been working in promoting the structured world across various publishing segments including STM, Trade, College and School.  

I have followed the transition from SGML to XML and the convergence of all tools and technologies towards XML as a standard.  As we move forward there is a strong need for a similar standard in the e-Book space.  We have all seen a strong increase in the demand for e-Books over the last 12-16 months.  This demand is only on the rise.  I feel IDPF is in a unique position to help make this seamless.  Based on my close to two decades of experience in publishing especially with a focus on electronic workflows and XML, I can add a lot of value understanding the challenges behind the various types of content which need to be taken into account for any standard.  I have worked with many publishers to help bring about changes in their outlook towards their content and re-purposing keeping in mind the consumer.  Being on IDPF board I can help by representing the publishers and complexity in content types to make e-Books easier to produce.  I have been working on the complete life cycle of the content and feel that while developing the standard, IDPF can help by understanding where and how the content is being authored so that the standard can be incorporated much higher in the food chain of the content.  Being in the publishing services, I can help represent not only the publishers but also the services companies who need to deal with the challenge of incorporating and implementing new standards.

I believe IDPF has the right mix of people and I can bring a change to the table.  I really believe in the ideology of IDPF in their quest to produce a standard for e-Books and would love to contribute towards its creation same as I have worked with many individuals in publishing industry to demystify the structured world for everyone.  I look forward to your support to be selected to the Board of Directors of IDPF.

Here is my brief bio:

I am Chief Technologist & President Publishing at Aptara (formerly Techbooks), a leading provider of publishing solutions.  Hired as one of the company’s first employees, I have served as general manager of Aptara’s operations in New Delhi, India from 1992-97, when I moved to the company’s Fairfax, VA headquarters in 1998 to assume the post of CTO.

I play a role in every aspect of Aptara’s fast-growing operations, from creating strategic workflow processes to leading sales meetings for decision-makers at corporations and publishing houses. I work closely with the workforce and with customers, harnessing the power of technology to solve business challenges.  I monitor emerging technologies, ensuring that the company leverages advances to improve publishing solutions for customers, the company’s own content-management practices and the efficiency of a workforce that spans three continents.  Among other duties, I also assess the infrastructure of companies that Aptara  considers acquiring, and then help integrate their technical and production operations with Aptara’s systems once a deal is completed. 

Prior to joining TechBooks, I started my own company in India, a desktop publishing firm called Calligraphics.  Prior I worked for D.C.M. Data Products, a well-known computer manufacturing company with headquarters in New Delhi. 

I graduated in 1987 from the prestigious engineering school in New Delhi, where I earned an engineering degree in electronics and communications. 

Sincerely,
Gurvinder Batra
Chief Technologist & President Publishing