27 April 2005 News releasePDFs face an uncertain future on the webas newer streaming technologies take off Faster, more interactive options will transform the way people access
and assimilate manuals, magazines and brochures in the office or on
the move The ubiquitous PDF (Portable
Document Format) could soon find its position as the file-format-of-choice
for the web under threat. The proliferation of newer streaming technologies
is offering speedy downloads and far more natural and interactive ways
to view virtually any kind of document online. "PDFs are a great option
for printing paper documents, but the fact that you have to download
the entire file, coupled with the static nature of the medium, makes
them less well suited for online viewing applications" said Richard
Wan, CEO of E-Book Systems. "The newest streaming solutions offer
a way to immediately view any page in a document without having to wait
for the whole thing to download. The user interfaces
are also easier on the eyes, banishing the risk of getting a
headache from looking at unwieldy document formats online." E-Book Systems offers a range
of products designed to transform the online viewing experience. Its
products make use of Digital Flip technology to organise and present
both static and dynamic rich media content such as text, photo, music,
streaming video and audio via a 3D page-flipping interface. Digital Flip technology is
an ergonomic user interface which transfers the intuitive look, feel
and navigation of physical documents into the digital context. It brings
a third dimension into the existing 2D computer interface. FlipBook
is an innovative solution for ePublishing. It also organises and distributes
content for the vastly expanding market of digital cameras, CDRW drives,
DVD playback devices, enterprise document management, web and print
publications. "In essence, what the
Digital Flip technology does is to display documents in their original
paginated book format in a life-like virtual book. The user flips the
pages just like they do in real life," said Wan. "This unique
patented user interface makes online reading much easier." One of the most recent examples
of E-Book's technology in action can be seen on the Hong Kong Tourism
Board's web site (http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/meetings/venue/)
where a FlipBook is now providing information on venues and hotels in
Hong Kong, including details such as location maps, floor plans and
room capacity. "The Internet is an instantaneous
medium, and consumers have grown used to getting access to information
at the click of a mouse. Companies that rely on large PDF files, which
take time to download, risk losing customers. FlipBooks remove that
risk, preserving the immediacy of the Internet experience and increasing
the likelihood of repeat visits and, of course, sales," said Wan. About E-Book Systems
E-Book Systems (www.ebooksys.com)
was founded in 1998 with a mission to bring the natural look and feel
of the paper-based book into the domain of consumer products, computers
and the Internet. E-Book Systems' products make use of its patented
Digital Flip® technology to deliver multimedia content such as digital
photographs, animations, text, audio and music via a 3-D Page-Flipping
interface, which appears as a virtual book. These contents could be
streamed or delivered online and offline through E-Book Systems' OpenFlipTM
format. At the same time, E-Book Systems also offers Digital Rights
Management, FlipBook tracking ASP services and Flip Enterprise solutions
for publishers and corporations. E-Book Systems, a private on-going
corporation, has offices in Issued on behalf of E-Book Systems By Euan Barty Associates Brian Paterson (EBA): (852) 2122 9762 (email: brian@eba.com.hk) Note to editors: this release can also
be found on the EBA Web site at www.eba.com.hk. For enquiries on releases
by email, please call Rosa Lee at (852) 2537 8022 or send a message
to rosa@eba.com.hk |
