Electronic publishing: Strategic developments for the European publishing industry towards the year 2000
The European Commission, DG XIII, has published the results of a study entitled "Electronic publishing - Strategic developments for the European publishing industry towards the year 2000". The study, commissioned by the Commission within the context of the INFO 2000 programme, is intended to act as a tool for analyzing the changes that have taken place in electronic publishing over the past three years and understanding what these may mean for the future. The study, also known as the EL-PUB 2 study, is centred on developments in the field of online publishing and the explosion of Internet-based services which use the World Wide Web. The results are based on extensive research and a large number of interviews with publishers in Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan, as well as on the conclusions of several workshops involving industry experts and a selective user survey. The study outlines the options for strategic positioning to enable the European publishing industry to remain ahead of its competitors as we approach the 21st century. It contains an in-depth analysis of the opportunities now presented by online publishing, and highlights the importance of content providers in driving the business for the information services market. Publishing markets are diverse, not just across the Member States of the European Union, but also according to content sectors and types of audience. Newspaper, magazine, STM, book, game and corporate publishers will have different audiences, customer needs, distribution, revenue structures, and business sizes. The new study offers strategic insight and guidance for each of the key stakeholders in the future electronic publishing market. Commenting on the findings, Mr. Robert Verrue, Director-General of DG XIII, noted that: "The study clearly shows the opportunities open to the publishing community in the new digital age. The good news is that European publishers can profit extensively from this transition from scribe to screen".