Leading Short-Run Printers Join netLibrary to Launch Global Print Solution

Business Wire, Feb 7, 2001

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2001

netLibrary Inc.:

U.S. and International Printers Join with netLibrary to Create

the First Truly Global Short-Run Digital Book Printing Service

netLibrary Inc., a leading provider of eBooks and Internet-based content and collection management services, today announced the launch of the Global Print Solution(TM), a short-run digital printing service that allows publishers to make their content available to a secure network of quality digital book manufacturers. The service allows publishers to increase the number of titles they consider for short-run printing by decreasing costs associated with title conversion and print procurement. The combination of eBooks and short-run printing enables publishers to better manage overall costs and forecasts.

netLibrary has signed agreements with premier short-run printers in North America, including BookMobile, DeHART's Printing Service, Edwards Brothers, Integrated Book Technology (IBT) and Matrix Digital Printing. netLibrary has also signed agreements with leading international printers including Antony Rowe and Basingstoke Press in the United Kingdom, dbooks in Australia and Silkbook.com in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"Global Print Solution(TM) gives publishers the most effective and efficient short-run solution available in the market today," commented Rob Kaufman, netLibrary President and CEO. "We continue to listen to our publisher partners who have asked us to come up with offerings that lead technologically, yet minimize risks to profitability."

Global Print Solution(TM) combines netLibrary's proven file conversion, storage and distribution capabilities with a network of leading short-run digital book manufacturing facilities strategically positioned throughout the globe. Each Global Print Solution printer has passed netLibrary's Printer Certification Process by demonstrating that its facilities produce books that meet minimum book manufacturing standards.

After working with publishers to select appropriate titles for Global Print Solution(TM), netLibrary converts each title into a print-ready format. netLibrary has developed a proprietary software process that enables print-ready files to be printed on all high-quality digital printers. Publishers select specific printers for print jobs from netLibrary's printer network. Printers securely pull files from netLibrary and print and fulfill the order. Participating printers provide publishers with a variety of fulfillment options including drop-ship, warehouse and fulfill, and traditional print and ship.

According to Jeff Nock, who directs netLibrary's Global Print Solution(TM), "The service provides enhanced efficiencies for those publishers already using short-run digital printing and an easy start-up process for publishers who have yet to gain the benefits of digital printing."

netLibrary's Global Print Solution(TM) addresses head-on one of the key stumbling blocks to the emergence of short-run digital printing; the lack of available digital files for books that fit the short-run model. With Global Print Solution(TM), netLibrary offers an economic model that makes it less expensive for publishers to convert their titles to digital print-ready format. John Edwards, President of Edwards Brothers, stated, "I am excited about the influx of print-ready files that netLibrary will bring to our growing digital printing business."

Greg Mroczek, Manufacturing Manager for Harvard Business School Publishing and a strategic advisor for Global Print Solution(TM), says: "I applaud netLibrary for building a service that has allowed us to look at short-run digital printing in new and effective ways. The service gives us new flexibility and allows us to increase the number of titles we consider for short-run."

About BookMobile

BookMobile (www.bookmobile.com) is a 1996 offshoot of Stanton Publication Services, a book design and production company serving demanding trade and university press publishers for 18 years. BookMobile is focused on providing high-quality digital book printing services to publishers at competitive prices, and helping publishers find ways to take advantage of new technologies.

About dbooks

dbooks (www.dbooks.com.au), a division of major Australian media company PMP Limited, is Australia's leading supplier of short-run digital books. Working in partnership with companies such as Fuji-Xerox and netLibrary, dbooks continues to operate at the leading edge of digitial print technology and has supplied books for most of the major publishing houses in Australia. In 2001, dbooks is releasing an on-line job management and tracking system which will minimize the transaction costs of on-demand printing and we will expand our on-line content management system, which allows the repurposing of stored content for use across multiple outputs, including offset print, digital print, Internet delivery and marketing materials.

About DeHART's Printing Services

Now nearly thirty years in business with over 80 employees, DeHART's Printing Services (www.deharts.com) of Santa Clara, California, is recognized as a leader in the field of demand printing and related services. With digital-based printing and full bindery capabilities, the company manufactures high-quality books, technical manuals and related documentation. DeHART's serves regional and national publishers, along with many independent publishers with economical solutions for high-quality, fast turnaround on runs from 25 to 2500.