NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 11/03/08 -- ad:tech NY (Nov. 3-6, 2008 - Booth #2201) -- From the ad:tech NY conference, digital publishing solutions provider Zmags today launched Zmags Publicator 3.0, a self-service software offering the industry's best rich media features including: unique 3D content views, the fastest rich-media downloads, and use of the latest Flash technology -- AS3.

Zmags Publicator 3.0 transforms traditional print media and PDF files into more appealing interactive presentations that greatly enhance the reader experience in order to increase circulation, boost online sales and lower publishing costs. Zmags is known for its exceptional rich media, analytics and SEO capabilities, and for its ability to give users wide design latitude within a framework of templates for virtually any type of publication -- including magazines, catalogs, brochures and reports. Customers include 3M, Chevrolet, IKEA, Microsoft and Volkswagen.

In addition to its superb rich-media capabilities, other "firsts" in Zmags 3.0 include:

--  The ability to create digital publications with tabbed views and
    integrate multiple publications into one file, to provide a better online
    shopping experience and facilitate cross-sales and conversions;
--  Full customization of the design control panel, for more creative
    freedom and better alignment with corporate branding; and
--  iPhone support, so that Zmags and all their interactive features can
    be accessed via iPhone.
    

Specialty publisher: "Our online readership has increased significantly"

Boating lifestyle magazine Latitudes & Attitudes was one of the first publishers to implement Zmags Publicator 3.0. "Since we launched the Zmag version of Latitudes & Attitudes, our online readership has increased significantly -- we now have over 200,000 visitors and five million hits a month," said Bob Bitchin, Founder and Publisher. "Our growing circulation has opened the doors to larger advertisers, and the audio and video enhancements in the on-line version have added a new level of entertainment to the magazine. In addition, embedded hot links in our ads enable us to get accurate counts of how many readers go to advertisers' sites, which has helped our advertising sales tremendously."

"Zmags puts incredible rich media features at our disposal, and really helps make our publications come alive," added Bitchin. "That's what set Zmags apart from the other options we considered."

Research firm Gilbane Group predicts that the number of publications offering digital editions will grow by 2.5x from 2007 to 2009, to 9,000, with the B2B realm experiencing the strongest growth. Gilbane Group has identified a number of factors that improve the reader experience and boost revenue for both publishers and advertisers:

--  Adding rich media;
--  Archiving and searchability;
--  Adding links to other digital publications;
--  Adding content sharing features; and
--  Integrating digital editions into an overall Web strategy for better
    cross-promotion.
    

Yet, in their May 2008 research report, "Digital Magazine and Newspaper Editions: Growth, Trends and Best Practices," Gilbane Group analysts Steve Paxhia and Bill Rosenblatt noted, "First-generation digital replica editions failed to take full advantage of the features that distinguish digital media."

Zmags Publicator 3.0 provides all of these features. "Zmags understands the publishing world, and we know that publishers are singularly focused on boosting circulation. The way to do that is through richer, value-added content, including new, more effective options for advertisers," said Jens Karstoft, CEO of Zmags. "Zmags enables companies to very easily add interactive features, analyze what works, and constantly improve the way they present content. Customers consistently tell us that Zmags makes digital publishing simple and effective, and they report on average a 50 percent increase in online readership after switching to Zmags."

Zmags: "Over One Billion Served"

According to Karstoft, adoption of the Zmags platform quadrupled between January and October 2008, with visits to customers' Zmag publications surging from 50,000 to 200,000 per day. In addition, in September 2008 Zmags signed its 2000th customer, and in October 2008 Zmags served up its one billionth page.

Free trial and demo available online

Zmags Publicator is a completely hosted, self-service solution. Users can create digital publications in just 5 minutes. Simply open an existing PDF file, point Zmags Publicator to the file, and follow the on-screen instructions. ad:tech NY attendees can see Zmags Publicator live at booth #2201. For an online demo of Zmags Publicator 3.0, or to sign up for a free trial, visit http://www.zmags.com/tryviewer.

About Zmags

Zmags Inc. helps print and PDF media come alive, with self-service digital publishing software that transforms them into interactive presentations that engage readers. Zmags is known for its exceptional rich media, analytics and SEO capabilities, and for its ability to give users wide design latitude within a framework of templates for virtually any type of publication -- including magazines, catalogs, brochures and reports. Thousands of companies in 35 countries rely on Zmags to create a richer reader experience while lowering publishing costs and boosting online sales. Zmags U.S. headquarters are in Boston, Mass. Visit www.zmags.com.

Zmags and Zmags Publicator are trademarks of Zmags in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine