Xerox Corporation's digital technology will be used in the patented Espresso Book Machine, a book solution that produces millions of copyrighted, public domain, out-of-print, or rare texts for consumers in minutes.
Xerox and US-based On Demand Books will jointly market and sell, on a worldwide basis, the Xerox 4112 copier/printer together with the Espresso Book Machine - a fully integrated solution that prints, binds and trims books with full color covers on demand in retail locations and libraries.
The Espresso Book Machine can produce paperbacks in variable combinations of trim sizes between 4.5-inch x 5-inch and 8.25-inch x 10.5-inch for a production cost less than one cent per page, a statement said.
With the Xerox 4112, the Espresso Book Machine produces a 300-page book in less than four minutes and has the capacity to print more than 40,000 paperback books per year, it added. "Xerox is a natural fit for On Demand Books and the Espresso Book Machine," said Dane Neller, CEO, On Demand Books.
"Their solutions, industry leadership, innovative printing technology and worldwide sales and marketing footprint will help us reach our goal - providing book enthusiasts fast and affordable access to millions of digital titles in multiple languages."
The Espresso Book Machine uses EspressNet, a proprietary and copyrighted software system that connects the device to a network of 3.3 million titles obtained with the approval of the publishers.
EspressNet assures the security of publishers' titles, tracks all jobs, and provides payments to publishers. Content owners retain full rights and control of their digital files.
"Xerox has provided a variety of digital book solutions for nearly 20 years," said Dan Smith, head of Integrated Marketing for the Middle East and Africa region of Xerox’s Developing Markets Operations.
"Working with On Demand Books, we can apply Xerox technology to meet the incredible opportunities that exist within this industry,”