OverDrive, Microsoft Announce Comprehensive Authoring Tools and Services for Microsoft Reader.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

REDMOND, Wash. and CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2000

ReaderWorks Offers ePublishers New Power, Flexibility

and Support for eBook Standards

OverDrive, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced a comprehensive set of authoring tools and services to enable publishers to easily create eBook titles based on Microsoft Reader with ClearType technology.

A beta version of the initial product -- enabling individuals to convert from Microsoft Word, HTML, ASCII, OEB, or image files into Microsoft Reader format -- is available via free download from the ReaderWorks web site.

Through its ReaderWorks family of products, OverDrive -- a leading developer of ePublishing technologies -- is offering publishers powerful and flexible tools and services to join the eBook revolution. Anyone, from an individual author to a large-scale production house or data center, are able to easily and economically build eBook titles and repositories for Microsoft Reader.

The ReaderWorks family of products includes:

-- ReaderWorks Standard -- a free Microsoft Windows application

that enables users to easily build and customize Microsoft

Reader eBooks from Word documents, HTML, ASCII, images, or

Open eBook Specification files.

-- ReaderWorks Publisher -- an upgrade to Standard that

prepares Microsoft Reader titles for sale and distribution

by eBookstores. With ReaderWorks Publisher, eBook authors

can answer a few questions about their title and create XML 

files that contain marketing and copyright protection data

in ONIX, XrML, and Microsoft's Digital Rights Management

architecture.

-- ReaderWorks Software Developers Kit -- developer's tools for

integrating the automation of production of eBooks in

Microsoft Reader format. ReaderWorks SDK also permits

software applications to add "save as Reader" support.

-- ReaderWorks Professional -- a suite of proven eBook

conversion and quality control tools for volume producers of

.LIT files (Reader format) in a batch environment.

In addition, OverDrive and its network of value-added resellers (VARs) offer publishers a range of education, training and conversion services, including turnkey systems if desired. The net result is that publishers and content developers, regardless of size, will have powerful tools to accelerate their development of content for Microsoft Reader.

"With ReaderWorks, there is now a complete solution for the whole world of content to quickly and easily take advantage of Microsoft Reader," said OverDrive President Steve Potash. "We are extending the file formats that ReaderWorks will automatically import to include Microsoft Word documents, desktop publishing files and other popular content formats," Potash added.

First-to-Market Solutions for ePublishers

"We know that a revolution is underway with eBooks and that consumers are now ready to embrace reading on a wide range of electronic devices from Pocket PCs to laptops and desktop PCs," Potash said. "Microsoft Reader, with its breakthrough ClearType display technology and Microsoft's DRM architecture, is clearly the preeminent platform for eBook publishing and for providing the consumer with a truly engaging reading experience."

Building on its popular BookWorks family of large-scale document conversion products, OverDrive brings its heritage of commercial ePublishing success and its expertise in developing for the Microsoft environment to the Microsoft Reader platform.

"We are proud to provide publishers of all types with the first mature, complete, well-tested suite of tools and solutions for building great eBook titles," Potash said.

A Full-Service Partner for Microsoft Reader Solutions

OverDrive's network of VARs will augment ReaderWorks offerings with training and conversion services. Additionally, OverDrive is enabling and supporting all Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes designed for Microsoft Reader. "Beyond deploying Microsoft's DRM solution, we will also support any new copyright protection that a publisher, merchant or e-commerce vendor wants to employ," said Potash.

"We are a full-service partner ready to help bring any business -- not just publishers but companies and institutions across the spectrum of the marketplace -- the benefits of eBooks publishing with Microsoft Reader," Potash said. "We can do it all for the eBook producer, from strategic component development to turnkey services where they give us your print books and we convert them into beautiful eBooks."

Potash predicted that the benefits of eBooks would only become more compelling once customers see them in action.

"As with desktop publishing, eBook authoring and production will quickly become a familiar and powerful way to communicate information that was traditionally done by ink on paper," Potash said. "ReaderWorks will make it fast, easy, and cost-efficient to make that evolution."

Dick Brass, Vice President of Technology Development at Microsoft, said OverDrive's depth and experience will provide publishers and others interested in the Microsoft Reader platform with powerful solutions.

"OverDrive is one of the true pioneers in eBook publishing and we are delighted to have them as our partners in helping bring eBooks to the masses," said Brass. "They have years of proven success in building world-class publishing tools and a great vision for the future of eBooks. Plus, they work fast."

Supporting eBook Standards including XrML, ONIX and Open eBook

The commercial ReaderWorks products provide eBook authors and publishers a user-friendly solution to preparing the industry standard files that promote commercial channels for their eBook. ReaderWorks Publisher automatically generates XML data files for use with reseller and distribution systems that rely on ONIX, XrML, and Microsoft Digital Rights Management architecture. These files specify rights and conditions associated with the use and protection of content.

"With ReaderWorks Publisher, eBooks publishers of any size can quickly prepare their titles ready to be added to our Microsoft Reader eBookstore," said Tom Turvey, director of eBooks for Barnes & Noble.com. "The software automatically generates the ONIX XML data file we require for titles that go into to our eBook inventory."

ReaderWorks Standard beta is available today free of charge at www.readerworks.com. The other products in the ReaderWorks suite are expected to be commercially available within the next 90 days; Pricing has not yet been announced.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

OverDrive, Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading developer of electronic publishing solutions and a founding member of the Open eBook Forum. ReaderWorks and BookWorks products and services are sold through a national network of dealers and Authorized Service Bureaus. OverDrive has licensed technology for and developed over 1,000 commercial titles for leading trade, reference, educational and business publishers. OverDrive, Inc. can be reached at www.overdrive.com, or by calling 216-573-6886.

Microsoft, ClearType and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. OverDrive and ReaderWorks are either registered trademarks or trademarks of OverDrive, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.