NXTBOOK MEDIA REPORTS RECORD GROWTH

Lancaster, PA — January 5, 2007

Lancaster, PA-based
digital publisher Nxtbook Media has reported record sales and traffic
for the year ending 2006. Sales for the year were 254% over the
company’s 2005 figures, and the number of Nxtbooks opened by readers
was 359% more than 2005 figures. In addition, the number of pages
viewed per Nxtbook reader increased nearly ten percent.

“Taken
together, these numbers tell a compelling story,” said Nxtbook Media
CEO Michael Biggerstaff. “Everyone loves to talk about revenue and our
’06 increase was outstanding. But the dramatic increases in readers and
pages read per visit talk to the viability of the digital edition
marketplace and the overall user satisfaction of our publishers’
audiences.”

Nxtbook Media’s year-end traffic reports also
pointed out another trend consistent with other web content providers:
an astounding increase in the amount of video streamed from digital
editions.

“A 2005 to 2006 percentage comparison would be
too lop-sided to be meaningful,” said Biggerstaff. “It’s simpler to say
that we’re currently streaming hundreds of gigabytes of video per month
and that we’re streaming the amount of video each week that we saw in
the entire year of 2005."

Biggerstaff attributed the dramatic growth to the following factors:

• Continued
  focus on product development. Nxtbook announced four major product
  upgrades in 2006 – far more than any other provider in the marketplace.
  Product upgrades were designed to improve usability of the product as
  well as to help publishers sell more sponsorships – a key factor in
  digital edition success.
• Increased focus on
  International resellers. In 2006, Nxtbook Media added representation in
  three countries, bringing the total of International resellers to six.
• Steady
  strong growth within the organization. During 2006, Nxtbook Media
  tripled both its sales and production staff, but did so methodically
  throughout the year.

Biggerstaff admitted
that Nxtbook Media’s numbers are contrary to what others in the
marketplace have speculated regarding the viability of digital editions.

"While
we occasionally read reports that publishers are struggling to be
successful with digital editions, our statistics show otherwise. At
Nxtbook Media, we’re working with more publishers than ever, more
readers are reading their digital editions each month and are staying
inside those digital editions for a longer period of time, so our
personal experiences are great and have only gotten better from month
to month."

Biggerstaff speculated why Nxtbook’s numbers may differ from industry perception:

"One,
we’ve been around for a while, so we’ve already seen what doesn’t work
and stopped doing it. As new competitors come into the market space,
publishers who work with them are missing out on the years of
experience we have. And second, of all the ‘veterans’ in the space,
we’re the ones who are working the hardest to evolve as the market
changes. We think this unique combination of market experience and
product development result in a positive experience for our customers."

Hoo-Clix Tracks Digital Magazine Click Details

 

Nxtbook Media  announces the immediate availability of HooClix Enhanced Tracking, which helps magazine publishers share domain-specific click-through data with advertisers.

HooClix Enhanced Tracking tracks which digital magazine readers click on each advertisement of the magazine. The domain address of the reader is placed in a report and is automatically sent to the advertiser each month.

“This is a major advancement for digital magazine technology,” said Nxtbook Media President Spencer Ewald.

“For the first time ever, an advertiser will know which organizations are curious enough about their offers to click on their messages. The automated reporting function enables publishers to provide advertisers this information with a minimal amount of effort," said Ewald.

The HooClix Enhanced Tracking provides advertisers with domain level information but does so without revealing personal data about the reader.

“In the interest of readers’ privacy, we don’t divulge personal information,” said Nxtbook Media Director of Technology Matt Harrington.

“Instead, we merely report that a reader located at a given domain (eg. “someone from “xyz.com”) clicked on a given advertisement,” said Harrington.

While such technology has been employed by e-mail marketers for some time, Nxtbook Media is the first digital publisher to utilize such robust tracking. Borrowing technology from other mediums is nothing new to Nxtbook. Last month, the company became the first digital publisher to provide one-click submissions to Digg and del.icio.us, popular technology solutions previously designed for bloggers.

“As a hybrid product, it’s imperative that digital publishers don’t just embrace the best magazine practices, but also that we utilize what technology companies are doing for other mediums. HooClix Enhanced Tracking is the latest example of that,” said Ewald.

Ewald expects advertisers to be overjoyed at the detail and regularity of the data.

“It’s absolutely vital that publishers understand who is clicking on their digital messages. Smart advertisers aren’t just concerned with click-through rates, but the quality of click-throughs, as well. HooClix is the perfect answer,” said Ewald.

CMP Technology chooses Nxtbook to produce digital editions

CMP Technology, a marketing solutions company for the technology industry, has chosen Nxtbook Media as the publisher of digital editions for its magazines. The program will launch with six titles: Information Week, EE Times, Embedded Systems Design, Electronics Supply Manufacturing, Dr. Dobb’s Journal and Call Center Magazine, enabling more than 100,000 readers of CMP publications to receive their issues in a digital format. These digital editions will replicate the look of the print edition while incorporating hyperlinks, audio and videos. The special Nxtbook Media format requires no software downloads and can be viewed on any standard Internet browser.

Spencer Ewald, president of Nxtbook Media, said, “We’re thrilled that CMP Technology has chosen Nxtbook as its sole digital publishing provider. CMP has a long and well known history of providing readers worldwide with outstanding content and we’re honored to be entrusted to optimize and deliver that content over the Web. These first six titles are a tremendous platform for the technology community and a strong basis of a successful ongoing relationship with CMP.”

Michael Zane, vice president of audience development for CMP Technology said, "We are looking forward to working with NxtBook Media as a true media partner. They have clearly made a commitment to producing a leading product with functionality and tracking, and CMP’s audience will be the beneficiary."

Nxtbook releases year-long study results

Nxtbook Media  today released its most detailed analysis yet of the company’s success in the digital publishing industry. The report revealed strong growth in all of the companies’ four channels – digital magazines, digital catalogs, digital collateral and travel collateral – and showed users to be exceedingly satisfied with digital editions.

Divided into two sections, the first section of the report examines data from Nxtbook’s robust tracking system. The second half of the report is a thorough analysis of nearly 3,000 reader surveys compiled during the past year.

"The exceptional growth we’ve seen during the past year is a clear indication of market acceptance of the format," said Spencer Ewald, president of Nxtbook Media. "Our publishers continue to demonstrate new and exciting uses for the Nxtbook technology and the hundreds of favorable comments from readers confirm that they love what publishers are doing with the format."

From an analysis of all Nxtbooks published in the previous year, Nxtbook has extracted several industry trends, including:

• Record months in titles and pages published and viewed in nine of the reporting periods.

• Year after year growth in page views of more than 400 percent.

• Interest in downloading has fallen 50 percent as users continue to embrace browser-based technology

Readership surveys from the same period revealed other key trends:

• 82 percent of readers preferred the digital edition over the print edition of their publication.

• 81 percent of readers said the Nxtbook format enhances their ability to collect information for their jobs.

• 85 percent of readers said they had a more favorable opinion of the publication after viewing the digital edition.

Readers also were asked which features of the digital edition most enhanced their experience with the Nxtbook. Content proved to be king, as the highest rating was given to hyperlinks to other information, followed closely by rich-media content, such as video and audio.

To view “Nxtbook Media – By the Numbers,” please go here.

Links to the full report can also be found on Nxtbook Media’s website are located here.

Rago Arts Introduces Nxtbook Media Technology to Auction World

Rago Arts and Auction Center is proud to be the first Auction House in the world to utilize the extraordinary technology of Nxtbook Media.

The digital catalog created by Nxtbook replicates the information in Rago’s printed catalog, but offers readers benefits unavailable in the printed format. Readers can zoom in to view products at high resolution and instantly create a list of every lot in their area of interest. Other features allow bookmarked catalogs to be e-mailed to friends or printed. Absentee bid forms or requests for condition reports can be filled in online and sent to Rago with a click of the mouse.

Miriam Tucker, CEO of Rago Arts and Auction Center said, “Nxtbook is easy to read, to access, to use, to enjoy. It allows us to provide our complete catalog to anyone with interest in the sale — that’s not just great for buyers. It’s a huge advantage for our client consignors. We are thrilled with the response.”

“We’re thrilled that Rago chose Nxtbook Media for their digital catalog,” says Eric Gervase, director of sales for Nxtbook Media. “The high quality of their auctions and the need for their customers to be able to easily seek and bookmark specific items of interest are both perfect applications for the Nxtbook and we look forward to doing further digital editions for them," said Gervase.

Readers can view the Rago Arts and Auction Center catalog in Nxtbook format here.

New Orleans Invites Visitors with Nxtbook Media

Bound and determined to replenish tourist revenues to their pre-Katrina point of nearly $5 billion annually, the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau has published its 2005-2006 Visitors Guide online in a digital format provided by Nxtbook Media™. The Visitors Guide is free and available on the Bureau’s Web site, located at www.neworleanscvb.com.

Online, visitors may view the 156 page guide in its entirety, as well as print or e-mail copies of the guide to others.

The Nxtbook allows magazine, book and brochure publishers to present an optimized copy of their printed material on a standard Internet browser. The addition of hyperlinks, audio and even videos presents readers with a media-rich experience impossible to replicate in a standard print format.

Kim Priez, vice president of tourism for the bureau said, “As the city continues rebuilding, it’s vital that we find new and innovative ways to tell people that “New Orleans is open for business.” The Nxtbook format enables us to send that message to our online audience. While we encourage anyone who wishes to order the Visitors Guide in print to please do so, the digital edition gives us a way to show our great city without the added costs of publishing and distribution.”

Spencer Ewald, president of Nxtbook Media™ said, “Every customer we have wants to expand their reach and simultaneously reduce their costs. Nxtbook accomplishes this by merging the distribution economics of the Internet with the look of printed materials. In this case, the needs of the customer were especially critical and we’re proud to work with the bureau and assist them in delivering this important message.”

Two-year stint held on Econtent 100 list

Nxtbook Media™ (NBM), a technology-based company that provides multimedia digital publishing solutions, today announced it has been named to EContent magazine’s 2005 EContent 100 list. In its fifth year, the EContent 100 is a preeminent listing of the companies that matter most in the digital content industry. Nxtbook Media™ is highlighted in the Content Delivery category for its ability to bridge the gap between online and print by delivering publications online with a similar feel to their print counterparts.

“The EContent 100 is an annual list of the leading companies we believe matter most in the digital content industry. Our readers — executives who manage online content strategies for their organizations — turn to the EContent 100 to find more effective and efficient solutions to their content challenges and we think that many organizations should be considering alternative digital delivery mechanisms like Nxtbook.” said Michelle Manafy, editor of EContent magazine. “For the second year in a row Nxtbook Media was our choice for delivery mechanism for this year’s digital edition of the EContent 100 issue and we look forward to our readers getting a chance to check out the interactive capabilities."

The EContent 100 is assembled by the EContent magazine editorial staff, its valued contributing editors, and colleagues from Information Today, Inc. The list reflects the content industry’s activity and performance over the past year, and surveys the leaders and innovators from a wide spectrum of digital content disciplines, including content delivery, collaboration and knowledge management, digital rights management and
consulting services, among others. The fifth annual EContent 100 was published in the December 2005 issue of EContent magazine and online at www.econtentmag.com.

“We take great pride in being named to the EContent 100 for the second year in a row,” said Spencer Ewald, Founder of Nxtbook Media. “2005 has been a profitable year us, with better than 350 percent growth. Recognition from EContent is the crowning jewel in a successful year."

Nxtbook Media Selects Mirror Image for Worldwide Content Delivery

Nxtbook Media™ (NBM), a technology-based company that provides multimedia digital publishing solutions, today announced it has selected Mirror Image Internet Inc.’s content delivery solution to reliably deliver its clients’ digital publications to readers all over the world. To prepare for traffic spikes associated with the launches of high-circulation digital publications, NBM chose Mirror Image to ensure 100 percent availability of the publications delivered via their browser-based Nxtbook FX.

“As a service provider to a rapidly-growing list of publishers, it is critical for Nxtbook Media to have a robust and scalable network infrastructure to meet the demands of the rising popularity of digital publications,” said Matthew Harrington, director of product development for Nxtbook Media. “Mirror Image allows Nxtbook Media to quickly deliver digital publications to both our domestic and international readers. In addition, it easily handles the large amount of traffic that is generated each time our client launches a Nxtbook to its subscriber list.”

With a growing list of clients looking to use their Web based reader for digital publications, as well as a quick rise in the number of international readers, Nxtbook Media was looking for a content delivery network that could fulfill two requirements:

• Quickly deliver Nxtbook content to readers in countries all over the world.

• Easily handle large spikes in Web traffic resulting from the launch of a digital publication to a large list of subscribers.

Mirror Image’s patented Content Access Point® (CAP) network, combined with its award-winning customer service, made it easy for NBM to choose the company’s service to fulfill these content delivery needs. Mirror Image helped NBM quickly integrate with its content delivery network so that NBM’s clients could experience the benefits immediately.

“When visitors go to Nxtbook Media’s Web site, Mirror Image ensures the requested content is delivered efficiently and reliably to their browsers,” said Jeffrey Schutzman, vice president, global sales and marketing, Mirror Image. “Our global distributed network enables Nxtbook Media to deliver content to millions of their readers around the world simultaneously.”

Significantly different from static .pdf technology, Nxtbook™ technology is used to publish magazines, tradeshow brochures, catalogs – or any other print products in an easy-to-read digital format. Nxtbook™ allows information to be presented as a double page-oriented document optimized for a computer screen. NBM’s digital publishing platform is based on open Web standards and does not require the downloading of proprietary software readers. The technology also enables real-time results reporting, including the number of readers who have accessed the online magazine, time spent on each page, and other invaluable tracking information.

Nxtbook Media announces primary agreement with Advanstar Communications, Inc.

Nxtbook Media™ (NBM), a technology-based company that provides multimedia digital publishing solutions, announces that it has signed a primary agreement with Advanstar Communications, Inc. (Advanstar), a worldwide business information company serving specialized markets with high-quality information resources and integrated marketing solutions.

NBM has been selected by Advanstar’s senior management to become their primary external digital publishing platform vendor.

Advanstar has 100 top business publications, in addition to trade shows and conferences, and a wide range of direct marketing, database and reference products and services. Recognizing the importance of digital publishing and its potentially significant impact on profit margins, Advanstar chose Nxtbook Media™ based on its product functionality, customer service track record, and planned upgrade path. Nxtbook Media™ will have the opportunity to consult with Advanstar managers on how to embrace a long-term digital magazine growth strategy.

“Advanstar was an early adopter of the digital publishing platform. We have been using similar technologies and working with Spencer Ewald since the spring of 2002 to help promote our trade shows,” said Francis Heid, Vice President of Publishing Operations. “Because of their excellent track record, it only made sense to include Nxtbook Media™ in our vendor selection process, and in the end, to choose them as our digital publishing partner.”

Significantly different from static .pdf technology, Nxtbook™ technology is used to publish magazines, trade show brochures, catalogs – or any other print products in an easy-to-read digital format. Nxtbook™ allows information to be presented as a double page-oriented document optimized for a computer screen. NBM’s digital publishing platform is based on open Web standards and does not require the downloading of proprietary software readers. The technology also enables real-time results reporting, including the number of readers who have accessed the online magazine, time spent on each page, and other invaluable tracking information.

Advanstar is currently using Nxtbook FX product for their e-zine content distribution. The digital versions of the publications are image-based representations of their print counterparts that retain the look and feel of the printed version. However, the Nxtbook also provides such Web-based functionality as multimedia, external hyper-linking,multiple zoom levels, thumbnail previews, book marking of pages, printing options, e-mail forwarding and save to computer feature. In addition to providing seamless integration into the production cycle, the FX product is also fully compliant with BPA and ABC regulations for circulation of magazines and newsletters.

“Nxtbook Media has been, by far, the most valued partner to Cadalyst magazine while we explored the unknown territory of digital delivery of the publication,” noted Dana Fisher, Group Publisher Advanstar/Cadalyst Group. “The staff at Nxtbook Media have publishing backgrounds and understand the issues and challenges I have as a publisher which helped me make educated business decisions during the entire process. I’ve built a successful model for Cadalyst as well as setting a standard in the CAD industry for being innovative and creative when it comes to digital delivery,” she said.

Spencer Ewald, NBM Vice President and Founder, said “I’m looking forward to working with the various publishing groups within Advanstar to create durable value for all of their print properties. As one of the leading business-to-business publishers, we view Advanstar as one of our marquee customers as we expand our offerings in the magazine marketplace.” In addition to the Cadalyst Group, NBM is also currently working with Travel Agent, American Salon, Sensors and is in negotiations with several other Advanstar publications looking to roll out the technology in 2005.

California Tourism Releases 2005 Visitor Guide

Visiting California has never been easier with the help of the California Travel and Tourism Commission’s new 2005 Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner. With its regional maps, fresh editorial format, photography, list of attractions and places to stay, visitors have all the information they need at their fingertips to book a California vacation. Guides are free and available by calling 877-CALIFORNIA or clicking to http://www.visitcalifornia.com.

This year’s cover commemorates the 50th anniversary of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Inside the guide visitors will find a special sweepstakes, two-page spread of selected California events and a sunshine index that includes average days of sunshine and temperatures in each of California’s 12 regions. Regional driving tours, popular activities to take part in and the location of California Welcome Centers is also included.

The new Visitor’s Guide contains a number of special sections, such as Faces of California and Attractions, which features a 9-year-old girl’s crusade to save Fresno’s Chaffee Zoo. The guide’s Theme Park Map highlights major theme parks and some of California’s most notable roadside attractions including Nit Wit Ridge and The Donut Hole are spotlighted.

Other special sections include Outdoor Recreation, spots for anglers to cast a line in the Eastern Sierra, and Food & Wine, which profiles a story about Kansas City barbecue born at a Southern California auto shop. A trimmed-down, easy-to-use state map is bound into each guide, and contains statewide and major metro information.

The guide will be available digitally in mid-February via http://www.visitcalifornia.com. The technology, provided by Nxtbook Media™, allows users to browse, search, make notes, as well as click through to advertisers’ Web sites.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs — in partnership with the state’s travel industry — that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to the CTTC, travel and tourism expenditures total $78.2 billion annually in California, support jobs for nearly 900,000 Californians and generate $3.2 billion in state tax revenues.

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