Xerox to sell on-demand Espresso Book Machines to retailers who sell books to people (video)
When we got our first glimpse of the Espresso Book Machine from On Demand Books we were of course thoroughly charmed by the Rube Goldberg nature of the thing, but were left feeling unconvinced of the practicality of it -- would people really pay money for custom-printed physical copies of classic books they can download for free? Is it really a viable choice for self-publishing? We may be skeptics, but Xerox is a believer, putting its reseller weight behind the machine (which uses not one but two of the company's printers internally), selling, leasing, and servicing the things through its retail connections. This means Espressos could start showing up more frequently at bookstores and perhaps even coffee shops early next year. Until then, watch the magic happen after the break.
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Xerox Puts Book Publishing Power in Consumers' Hands; Expands Market for the Espresso Book Machine
GRAPH EXPO 2010
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An innovative, on-demand book printing system that is changing the way books are published, bought and sold worldwide can now be purchased directly from Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX). The Espresso Book Machine®, a Xerox Solution, prints, binds and trims bookstore-quality paperbacks with color covers in minutes. Xerox will now market, sell or lease and service the solution, giving retailers new ways to drive revenue.
"The on-demand book publishing market has expanded, and so has our support of this solution"
The expanded sales and service model builds on a strategy announced earlier this year, where Xerox worked with On Demand Books – the company that created the system – to equip it with the Xerox 4112® Copier/Printer, which prints books with crisp text and detailed images.
"The on-demand book publishing market has expanded, and so has our support of this solution," said Eric Armour, president, Graphic Communications Business Group, Xerox Corporation. "Xerox's involvement has moved far beyond the print engine – we are now helping retailers, bookstores, libraries and universities build a profitable on-demand book publishing business."
The Espresso Book Machine's print-at-retail model, which includes the EspressNet™ software system developed by On Demand Books, connects machines to a vast repository of content, allowing consumers to access millions of copyrighted, public-domain and self-published books in a matter of minutes.
"The full sales and service support of Xerox, as well as a leasing option, will transform this technology and make it readily available worldwide," said Dane Neller, CEO, On Demand Books. "Consumers will have more choices, booksellers will have more titles with no increase in inventory and publishers will have a new sales channel."
Support after the sale
Xerox's new ProfitAccelerator® Espresso Book Machine Essentials Kit provides an overview of the on-demand publishing market and how the system can be leveraged to drive business. The kit also includes an essential "how to" guide, familiarizing owners with technical aspects of the solution as well as marketing guidance.
"For independent bookstores the Espresso Book Machine is an extraordinary technology – and now the added value Xerox brings in terms of sales, service and marketing will help us secure new business while satisfying book enthusiasts instantly," said Jeff Mayersohn, owner, Harvard Book Store, located in Cambridge, Mass.
Xerox will showcase the Espresso Book Machine at Graph Expo 2010, Oct. 3 – 6 in Chicago. The company will occupy booths No. 400 and 600.
Availability
The Espresso Book Machine will be available through Xerox in early 2011. For more information contact a Xerox sales representative.
