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Reciprocal Strikes Exclusive Digital Infrastructure Agreement with Baker & Taylor Reciprocal( 07/12/2001 ) NEW YORK, - Reciprocal, Inc., the provider of business infrastructure for the distribution of digital assets, today announced it has signed an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Baker & Taylor, a leading distributor of books, videos and music products. The agreement leverages Reciprocal's services to deliver electronic content to thousands of libraries via Baker & Taylor's extensive network of customers. Content will be delivered to libraries as part of a digital subscription service provided by Baker & Taylor's Informata business unit, enabling library patrons to download and "check out" eBooks, and other digital text. The agreement creates significant marketing opportunities for both Reciprocal and Baker & Taylor. Baker & Taylor and other wholesalers will sell digital content through Informata's subscription service to libraries for use with their library patrons, and Reciprocal will resell content in markets that Baker & Taylor does not currently serve. "Baker & Taylor is the number one player in the library market space, and a fantastic 'go-to-market' partner for Reciprocal," said John Schwarz, president and CEO, Reciprocal. "Our exclusive relationship with Baker & Taylor puts Reciprocal at the forefront of the emerging digital distribution industry, particularly for the library market, achieving another milestone in our corporate strategy. We look forward to working closely with Baker & Taylor to make digital distribution an easy and enjoyable experience for libraries and their patrons alike." "Reciprocal's ability to fully understand our needs, its depth in the digital marketplace and its infrastructure to dedicate resources were key components in the decision to make them a partner in our digital future," said Gary Rautenstrauch, President and Chief Operating Officer, Baker & Taylor, Inc. Reciprocal will build Baker & Taylor a digital library and content delivery system specifically designed by Informata for the library market. In turn, Baker & Taylor will offer libraries an opportunity to participate by charging them an annual subscription for use of the digital library, which offers a catalog of digital content, brandable pages and web based tools for each participating library to customize for their patrons. Patrons of participating libraries will then be able to browse digital content online, or download and check out the content they are most interested in. Content may be checked out for an extended period of time set by each library, including checking out eBooks from home. "The Baker & Taylor agreement demonstrates Reciprocal's ability to combine several business infrastructure elements - our storefront, our digital warehouse, and our integrated support of underlying DRM technologies - to provide an easy to use and highly functional solution for any digital distribution business model," added David Bass, Vice President of Corporate Development, Reciprocal. About Baker & Taylor Baker & Taylor, Inc., based in Charlotte, N.C., is a global information and entertainment services company that offers books, videos, music and services to libraries, traditional and Internet retailers and educational institutions. About Informata Informata is Baker & Taylor's business-to-business e-commerce unit that develops web and software applications tailored for libraries, educational institutions, traditional and Internet retailers and publishers. About Reciprocal Reciprocal delivers the business infrastructure for the distribution of digital assets by integrating critical functions, including e-commerce and electronic inventory management, with leading digital rights management (DRM) technologies. The company provides comprehensive, easy-to-implement services that enable clients to realize new revenues and efficiencies while controlling digital assets and enabling a simple user experience. In partnership with other industry leaders, these flexible and scalable services address the requirements of the music, publishing, software, and film industries, as well as others such as financial services and healthcare. The company also offers strategic consulting and integration services that help content providers, distributors, and websites choose and implement the solution that best fits their business needs. More than 100 companies in the Americas, Europe, and Asia have selected Reciprocal as their digital distribution services provider. # # #
©2001 Reciprocal, Inc. All rights reserved. Reciprocal and the Reciprocal symbol are trademarks of Reciprocal, Inc. in the United States and other countries. For more information on Reciprocal, visit its Web site: reciprocal.com. |
