Koch, Neff & Volckmar (KNV), Germany’s largest book wholesaler, is launching a digital storefront, powered by Alcatel-Lucent’s Digital Media Store. The storefront will enable KNV’s 7,000 bookseller customers across Germany, Switzerland and Austria to rapidly set-up, stock and manage their own branded e-book store.
According to a forecast by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2010), by 2015 over 2.5m eReaders will be used in Germany alone. However, eReader owners will continue to value the guidance provided by established booksellers they know and trust.
“Together with KNV, we are revolutionizing the book trade market,” says Alf Henryk Wulf, head of Alcatel-Lucent in Central Europe. “By enabling thousands of smaller bookstores to rapidly enter the e-books market with a customized, appealing offering that can be made available on any device, we will accelerate the transition to digital media in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.”