Digital publishing firm Yudu Media has released the results of a survey on how organizations’ use of digital publishing is changing.
Overall, the survey results show a rush to mobile platforms, with two out of three companies surveyed planning to develop digital publications for the iPad, along with a massive increase in the number of organisations looking to produce digital-only versions of their titles.
Key findings of the research include:
- The number of users publishing digital-only magazines (as opposed to a digital version of an existing print magazine) will jump by 44 per cent in the next 12 months.
- The number creating eBooks using digital publishing will increase by 60 per cent in the next 12 months.
- The number planning to create digital publications for mobile platforms will grow significantly over the next 12 months. The iPhone will see a rise from 12.1 per cent today to 47.7 per cent in 12 months, while the iPad will leap from 15.5 per cent today to 56.9 per cent in 12 months.
- Of those not currently developing digital publications for the iPad, almost 50 per cent plan to do so within 12 months.
- Of those with no plans to develop digital publications for the iPad, the number one reason is, “no demand from readers.”
- 85.6 per cent believe the iPad will have a positive impact on demand for digital magazines and eBooks.
“We weren’t surprised that so many digital publishers were interested in mobile platforms, but we were surprised at the speed with which they plan to deploy editions for those platforms,” says Yudu Media CEO, Richard Stephenson. “The number planning digital editions for the iPad, for example, outpaces even the number planning editions for the iPhone, even though at the time of the survey, the iPad had only been on the market for four months. It seems that readers’ appetite for mobile content is more voracious than even we imagined.” 
The survey was conducted online from 23 August – 8 September. Participants were solicited by email and the web from YUDU Media’s existing customer base of YUDU Pro users. 173 participants completed the 9-question survey on their digital publishing practices and plans. Respondents came from a number of different industries, with publishing representing the highest proportion, at 37 per cent.
You can download the executive summary of the survey here.
