Using New e-Book Solutions, Sharp Enters the e-Book Market
On July 20, 2010, Sharp Corporation held a press conference in Tokyo to present its next-generation e-Book format.
Sharp Corporation has developed XMDF, a next-generation e-book format (hereinafter "Next-generation XMDF") with advanced features that allow users to enjoy video and audio content, in addition to current features such as texts and still images. With next-generation XMDF as a core technology, Sharp will within this year provide digital platform to promote e-book distribution service and launch compatible reader devices to enter the e-book market. Various publishing houses (newspaper, magazines, catalogs), printing and agent companies in Japan and overseas market will be supporting Sharp to launch this e-book business.
Sharp's next-generation XMDF is an advanced version of the current XMDF format. The current XMDF format has been commercialized in 2001 and is used in e-book contents including Japanese novels and manga comics. The next-generation XMDF enables easy viewing of digital contents including video and audio, and allows automatic adjustment of the layout to match and meet publishers' needs. With this digital platform, Sharp plans to enhance users' e-book lifestyle with more sophisticated user interface technology, and at the same time will contribute to expand the e-book market. XMDF allows users to browse the same content on multiple terminals including smart phones, PCs and TVs and also streamlines publisher's e-book contents production
Sharp intends to innovate e-book lifestyles and to create a new market for e-books.
A view of the lively assembly hall
Explaining Sharp's new e-Book platform is Masami Ohbatake, Executive Officer and General Manager of Information and Communication Systems Business; Group General Manager, Communication Systems Group
Speaking on developments in US is Bob Scaglione, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America (SEMCA)
XMDF (ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format)
An e-book format created by Sharp, that is developed based on international standard definition XML. In February 2009, XMDF was accepted as international standard (IEC62448 Ed. 2 Annex B).