Customer Baker & Taylor is a leading full-line distributor of books, videos and music products to traditional retailers and to library customers. They ship more than 1 million unique ISBNs (SKUs) annually. They maintain one of the largest combined in-stock book, video and music inventories in the United States with approximately 385,000 titles in inventory and over 1.5 million available for order. Situation B&T provides one of the most flexible and scalable distribution systems in the distribution industry. However, the distribution systems that can guarantee next day delivery of books, cannot cope with the differences inherent in digital distribution. Brick and mortar libraries have virtually no systems in place to make eBooks available to their patrons within the context of the library-lending model. For the publishers, preventing illegitimate copying of the books is a big concern. Benefits B&T uses matterCast's services to automate the distribution of digital books to libraries worldwide. Without fundamentally changing their existing business practices, libraries that participate in the system can offer their patrons eBooks through a branded virtual library on the web Sophisticated digital rights management technology integrated into the system encapsulates publisher's business rules into the eBooks and prevents misuse.

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Baker & Taylor prides itself on being a leading full-line distributor of books, videos and music products to library customers. They provide one of the most flexible and scalable distribution systems in the industry. Their proprietary database contains detailed, comprehensive, up-to-date information on over 3.5 million book titles. In keeping with their leadership position as a distributor, Baker & Taylor is moving to include eBooks in their distribution offerings. In order to deal with the inherent differences in digital distribution of books, the company recently announced their eContent Delivery System as a sophisticated web-based eBook management and distribution system specifically designed with the process flows of the library in mind.

Situation

Founded in 1828, Baker & Taylor is a leading full-line distributor of books, videos and music products to Internet and traditional retailers and to library customers. Having been in business over 170 years, they have developed long-term relationships with their customers and with the major book publishers, movie studios and record labels. 

Their proprietary database contains detailed, comprehensive, up-to-date information on over 3.5 million book titles, 85,000 video titles and 240,000 music titles -- all of which is managed by a comprehensive online ordering and fulfillment system for their library customers. In addition, they provide one of the most flexible and scalable distribution systems with operations and distribution centers nationwide. 

In response to the emerging eBook market, Baker & Taylor wanted to extend their system to allow for the digital distribution of eBooks to libraries. Although a sophisticated online order entry system existed for libraries to order books, the model for fulfillment of eBook orders was completely different from the print book model. 

For libraries, the barrier to entry remained high to make eBooks available to their patrons. The infrastructure required to deal with eBooks, from inventory management to encryption for digital rights management, was extremely expensive to create. 

For the publishers, protecting the copyright of the digital book and preventing unauthorized copying and distribution has been a major concern. 

Baker & Taylor decided to embark on a strategic initiative to develop an infrastructure for the digital receipt and delivery of eBooks -- a digital warehouse that would complement their existing physical distribution system. In this system, eBooks from publishers would be offered for digital distribution based on predetermined business rules. The system would enable libraries to be deployed, with a web presence and eBook inventory "pushed" from Baker & Taylor's master catalog of eBooks. 

Using matterCast as the solution provider, Baker & Taylor has developed a comprehensive system that not only meets their strategic initiative, but also gives them insight into how, when, where and which eBooks are being read -- providing critical business intelligence.

Solution

Baker & Taylor's eContent Delivery System allows them to create online virtual libraries, and distribute eBooks to those libraries. It also gives those libraries an instantaneous web presence and the ability to lend eBooks to their patrons.

From a central management console, new virtual libraries can be created, branded, and managed independently by the library administrator. The patrons of the libraries get a very compelling eBook experience with the ability to read the eBook online using a richly featured Open eBook (OEB) Reader - allowing seamless searching and reading concurrently across multiple eBooks. In addition, patrons are able to checkout eBooks and download the eBook to their PC for offline reading with the Adobe eBook Reader. The Adobe eBook Reader allows the patron to read the book for a period of time designated by the library administrator - thus forcing an automatic check-in of the book. During this offline checkout period, the fair use of the eBook is enforced with the use of Digital Rights Management technology.

The patron experiences a state of the art digital library, with the ability to do full-text searches, preview books and checkout books for online or offline use. Additionally, each patron has a virtual bookshelf that allows them to see any books they have checked out and the duration of those checkouts.

Benefits

The platform gives Baker & Taylor new eCommerce opportunities and expands its distribution operations. It removes barriers for individual libraries to enter this emerging market. The centralized management console and the automated workflow help to contain the cost of operating and expanding the system as it grows. Finally, the ability to track the usage of eBooks from publisher to library patron gives everyone in the content distribution chain information that can help in making key business decisions.

What's Next

In order to keep their core business processes, and the enterprise systems that comprise them virtually unchanged, matterCast will integrate Baker & Taylor's online ordering system with the digital warehouse - allowing libraries to order eBooks the same way they order print books. Sophisticated XML based messages and events between the systems will create a true digital warehouse, with support for key business processes like back orders, receiving, order fulfillment and inventory management.