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Dear IDPF
Members,
The more
rapid emergence of the eBook industry in recent years holds great promise for
all participants - publishers, distributors, service providers, technology
providers and readers. This promise can become a reality only if there are
specific and concerted efforts from the IDPF and its members to drive more
aggressive innovation in key aspects of eBook design, production and
distribution. And I believe it is within this broader context of innovation
that further development of the EPUB standard must be envisioned and driven if
the standard is to persist and grow.
The
fundamental concept of an “e- Book” needs to be challenged and evolved
creatively, if it is to keep up with the changing landscape of content types,
reader behaviors and consumption devices. Traditional production approaches
need to be reengineered far more aggressively -- to reflect best practices in
eContent production, and to increase publishing velocity and efficiency. And
new value chains and supporting business models need to be pursued to make
production and distribution more interesting for all the players in the supply
chain – from author to reader and everyone in between.
Innovations such as these do not happen by chance. They happen because there
are industry participants who are driven and who collaborate openly to push the
boundaries and break new ground. This, I believe, is where the IDPF is an
essential catalyst and facilitator – by offering a guided forum within the
industry for those who are truly committed to innovation to communicate and
collaborate together to generate real, positive change for the industry at
large.
As
Executive Vice President of Business Development at Aptara Inc., I have been a
strong proponent and supporter of the use of the EPUB standard by our many
customers and partners, large and small, across the Trade & Consumer,
Educational, STM and Business publishing markets. Through a series of eBook
webinars, and other events and publications, we have provided a platform for the
IDPF to promote the EPUB standard and the aims and work of the IDPF. We have
more recently released a new EPUB production technology to lower production
costs and accelerate content conversion cycles times for publishers. And we are
working closely with major device manufacturers, publishers and distributors to
accelerate the availability of EPUB-compliant content, so that new eBook market
demand can be unleashed, and spur a new level of market growth in 2010 and
beyond.
If elected
as a Board Director of the IDPF, I would bring 25 years of global business
experience which has included the position of Executive Board Member of LISA
(the Localization Industry Standards Association), where I was instrumental in
driving standards development and adoption by leading players within the
localization industry; and VP of Worldwide Operations for TRADOS (a leading
multilingual content software provider.) I have also served in senior
management roles for global technology and technology services leaders including
Siemens, Cable and Wireless and Price Waterhouse. And as EVP of one of the
industry’s leading publishing services providers, I can bring resources a strong
network of connections to bear in practical support of the work of the IDPF and
the pursuit of its aims.
If
elected, my focus will be to broaden the membership base and to push for more
direct participation from all IDPF members, so that we generate a richer context
of innovation, within which the EPUB standard can evolve more rapidly.
I would be
very grateful of your vote to serve on the IDPF Board.
Sincerely,
John Egan
Executive
Vice President
Aptara
Inc.
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