single login, while maintaining consistent A.A.O.S branding and navigation throughout. Adding to the
challenge, A.A.O.S had targeted initial go-live
of
the
new
eBook
capability
for
its
annual meeting
in
March.
“I was afraid we were going to have to settle for a product that fell far short of meeting our
requirements,” said Philips.
Selecting a Digital Publishing Platform.
A.A.O.S exhaustively researched the vendor landscape, formally evaluating 12 eBook platforms, and
reviewing several others in
a
selection
process
that extended over a period of about a year. “I can’t
even tell you how many decision matrices I built,” says Philips.
As the A.A.O.S annual conference approached, they were beginning to doubt whether the solution they
were looking for even existed. Some vendors required proprietary formats that limited potential
distribution. Others required outside content conversion, which made it difficult to ensure quality.
Others limited the extent to which publishers
could
control branding. And many charged royalties on
eBook sales, which would take a substantial bite out of publication revenue.
“We had a long wish list
of
features
and
no
one
came
close
to
nailing
them
until we
found
Tizra,” said
Philips. “It was such a relief to find a solution that could do most of what we asked.”.
Some key areas on the A.A.O.S wish list included… .
• Interactivity & rich media support. – With increasing competition, particularly in the digital
products arena, A.A.O.S realized
it
was
important
to
make
its
content
stand
out
with
enhancements like embedded video, interactive quizzes, and self-assessment exams. An ideal
solution would fit in with existing publishing workflows, and would be flexible enough to
support integration
of best-of-breed technology from multiple vendors.
• Unbundling/Remixing. – With their strategy of moving toward a portfolio structure for
educational offerings, A.A.O.S needed a way to break eBook content up into the smallest logical
components and managing delivery to appropriate specialties and CME programs.
• Single sign-on. – A.A.O.S had invested
considerable
effort in establishing a single username and
password known as the “Academy ID,” which allows doctors to access all their materials
without needing to remember multiple logins. It was thus vital that the eBook platform support
Academy IDs by integrating with the association management software A.A.O.S already had in
place.
• Consistency across platforms. – In the course of a day, doctors typically access content from
multiple locations and via devices ranging from desktops to smartphones. To ease these
transitions, it
was
important
that content be presented with the same familiar layouts. That
way, doctors could be just as productive whether accessing from a computer at the hospital,
from home on an iPad, or reading the print edition.
• Search. – Whether they’re a resident studying for an exam, or a seasoned physician researching
updated information on a procedure, doctors need powerful search tools to quickly home in
on relevant information. A key feature was being able to control search scope, so that queries
could be narrowed to a single book or broadened to a whole collection.
• Social sharing and discoverability. – While A.A.O.S has traditionally been very protective of its
content, their strategy increasingly
emphasizing the importance of making content easy to find
and share, whether via search engines like Google, scholarly citations, or more informal social
media tools. An ideal solution would protect content from unauthorized use, while making
sharing easy among authorized users.
• Streamlined production. – While increasingly focused on digital, A.A.O.S knew that print would
continue to be important for the foreseeable future. That meant they needed a digital platform
that would let them streamline production by using a single process to create both print and
digital, rather than forking them off into separate workflows.
• Protection of intellectual property. – While maximizing convenience for authorized users is
top priority, A.A.O.S also recognized the need to protect its substantial content investment.
They were particularly interested in creative solutions, like
soft
DRM
and
social DRM, that
would limit unauthorized sharing…without the hassles or support costs that go along with
traditional proprietary DRM.
challenge, A.A.O.S had targeted initial go-live
of
the
new
eBook
capability
for
its
annual meeting
in
March.
“I was afraid we were going to have to settle for a product that fell far short of meeting our
requirements,” said Philips.
Selecting a Digital Publishing Platform.
A.A.O.S exhaustively researched the vendor landscape, formally evaluating 12 eBook platforms, and
reviewing several others in
a
selection
process
that extended over a period of about a year. “I can’t
even tell you how many decision matrices I built,” says Philips.
As the A.A.O.S annual conference approached, they were beginning to doubt whether the solution they
were looking for even existed. Some vendors required proprietary formats that limited potential
distribution. Others required outside content conversion, which made it difficult to ensure quality.
Others limited the extent to which publishers
could
control branding. And many charged royalties on
eBook sales, which would take a substantial bite out of publication revenue.
“We had a long wish list
of
features
and
no
one
came
close
to
nailing
them
until we
found
Tizra,” said
Philips. “It was such a relief to find a solution that could do most of what we asked.”.
Some key areas on the A.A.O.S wish list included… .
• Interactivity & rich media support. – With increasing competition, particularly in the digital
products arena, A.A.O.S realized
it
was
important
to
make
its
content
stand
out
with
enhancements like embedded video, interactive quizzes, and self-assessment exams. An ideal
solution would fit in with existing publishing workflows, and would be flexible enough to
support integration
of best-of-breed technology from multiple vendors.
• Unbundling/Remixing. – With their strategy of moving toward a portfolio structure for
educational offerings, A.A.O.S needed a way to break eBook content up into the smallest logical
components and managing delivery to appropriate specialties and CME programs.
• Single sign-on. – A.A.O.S had invested
considerable
effort in establishing a single username and
password known as the “Academy ID,” which allows doctors to access all their materials
without needing to remember multiple logins. It was thus vital that the eBook platform support
Academy IDs by integrating with the association management software A.A.O.S already had in
place.
• Consistency across platforms. – In the course of a day, doctors typically access content from
multiple locations and via devices ranging from desktops to smartphones. To ease these
transitions, it
was
important
that content be presented with the same familiar layouts. That
way, doctors could be just as productive whether accessing from a computer at the hospital,
from home on an iPad, or reading the print edition.
• Search. – Whether they’re a resident studying for an exam, or a seasoned physician researching
updated information on a procedure, doctors need powerful search tools to quickly home in
on relevant information. A key feature was being able to control search scope, so that queries
could be narrowed to a single book or broadened to a whole collection.
• Social sharing and discoverability. – While A.A.O.S has traditionally been very protective of its
content, their strategy increasingly
emphasizing the importance of making content easy to find
and share, whether via search engines like Google, scholarly citations, or more informal social
media tools. An ideal solution would protect content from unauthorized use, while making
sharing easy among authorized users.
• Streamlined production. – While increasingly focused on digital, A.A.O.S knew that print would
continue to be important for the foreseeable future. That meant they needed a digital platform
that would let them streamline production by using a single process to create both print and
digital, rather than forking them off into separate workflows.
• Protection of intellectual property. – While maximizing convenience for authorized users is
top priority, A.A.O.S also recognized the need to protect its substantial content investment.
They were particularly interested in creative solutions, like
soft
DRM
and
social DRM, that
would limit unauthorized sharing…without the hassles or support costs that go along with
traditional proprietary DRM.
