Susan Spilka
sspilka@wiley.com
Wiley
(201) 748-6147
Wiley Desktop Editions, a New Digital Option That Will Save Students Money
Wiley and VitalSource join forces to give students the benefits of a high-quality text in a flexible digital format
Hoboken, N.J., September 6, 2005 — John Wiley & Sons, Inc. today announced a partnership with VitalSource Technologies, Inc. to deliver key Wiley textbooks as Wiley Desktop Editions using the VitalSource P2™ publishing platform. Wiley Desktop Editions will be available this Fall for over 80 of Wiley's best selling titles in Science, Math, Business, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Computer Science and will be priced at 60% off of the list price for the printed textbook.
“Our student customers value the portability of the traditional print textbook and the fact that they can keep it as long as they would like,” said Bonnie Lieberman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Wiley's Higher Education business, “but there is a growing segment who would prefer to use a digital version of the text without giving up that portability and permanence. Wiley Desktop Editions will be designed for those students.”
In contrast to other digital and online formats, the VitalSource Bookshelf™ application allows students to buy their books like they buy their music, owning the digital version of their book (i.e., keep it on their computer "desktop") for future use and reference. The VitalSource format also provides must-have digital functionality including print, search, note taking and note-sharing, and page numbering consistent with the print book (to follow assignments given by the instructor). Sample copies of the titles will also be available for a free “try before you buy” period—another feature that students value as they consider choosing to study in a digital format.
Wiley Desktop Editions join WileyPLUS™ (formerly eGrade Plus) and a variety of print formats to offer Wiley faculty customers the flexibility they need in choosing a title for their course. Faculty and students have responded positively to the choices they receive from Wiley. For example, more than 150,000 students have purchased WileyPLUS™ as part of their course materials. "Faculty want all of their students to have access to classroom materials because they know it increases the likelihood of students success," continued Ms. Lieberman, "we want our faculty customers to feel comfortable that when they adopt Wiley educational materials for their course, their students will have a wide range of format and retail options for purchasing them."
"We are thrilled to be working with Wiley to fulfill the promise of more options and greater value for students," said Frank Daniels III, president and CEO of VitalSource. "We believe the VitalBook functionality gives students all of the benefits of a digital product without the drawbacks of having to be online or having their access expire at the end of a period. Wiley's Desktop Editions will be an exciting showcase for our product's benefits.”
For more information on Wiley Desktop Editions go to http://www.wiley.com/college/desktop. Beginning October first, students will be able to purchase Wiley Desktop Editions from Wiley's web site or from VitalSource at www.vitalsource.com.
About John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., provides must-have content and services to customers worldwide. Its core businesses include scientific, technical, and medical journals; encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; professional and consumer books and subscription services; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley has publishing, marketing, and distribution centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb. Wiley's Internet site can be accessed at www.wiley.com.
About VitalSource Technologies, Inc.
VitalSource is a leading provider of digital content solutions in education. The company enables publishers, distributors and OEM partners to create and deliver textbooks and other content directly to users’ computers in its proprietary VitalBook™ file format under a variety of scenarios. These scenarios range from custom curriculum solutions to private-label bundled products, as well as single textbook and promotional content delivery to students and faculty in both secondary and post-secondary educational settings.
VitalSource has enabled leading publishers and distributors to deliver over half a million commercial textbooks in digital form since 2000. The company is privately-owned with headquarters in Raleigh, NC. For more information on VitalSource, please visit www.vitalsource.com. For media inquiries, please contact press@vitalsource.com.
