Users of the Consumer Publishing Platform Can Now Access Online Content
Through MagCloud Print-on-Demand Service
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2009--
HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced that Wikia, the company that brings
together millions of people to create and discover engaging content on
every topic, will offer print-on-demand services to its communities
through MagCloud,
an HP cloud service that automates magazine publishing.
The collaboration between HP and Wikia will allow fans, aspiring
publishers and writers of all types to create magazines based on the
high-quality content and images created by Wikia’s more than 50,000
communities.
“By teaming with Wikia, HP is bringing some of the richest community
content on the web to life in a glossy magazine format,” said Andrew
Bolwell, director, New Business Initiatives, HP. “Thanks to HP’s
MagCloud, Wikia’s passionate communities of readers will be able to
enjoy information on their favorite bands, hobbies, comic books and more
in a tangible print format that is both cost-effective and
environmentally friendly.”
To publish a glossy, full-color magazine for friends, the coffee table
or mass distribution, Wikia users select the content and cover page, and
then order their request through MagCloud. For example, a Wikia user
could create a custom magazine with original content found in wikis
about Lady Gaga, vintage dress patterns and cooking.
“Wikia and MagCloud are the perfect match to marry compelling online
content with a rich print experience,” said Jimmy Wales, co-founder,
Wikia. “With millions of freely available and relevant articles written
by dedicated communities, Wikia broadly covers thousands of topics, from
Marvel comic book characters to ABC Television’s popular drama ‘Lost.’
We believe that Wikia’s communities will use the MagCloud printing
service to reach broader audiences, and inspire people to engage in a
new wave of magazine publishing 2.0.”
By using an on-demand publishing service model, HP eliminates the
carrying costs, waste and inventory issues previously associated with
magazine publishing, making it possible to publish content that was
previously economically unviable to print. MagCloud’s printing process
uses HP
Indigo digital presses to produce full-bleed, magazine-quality
publications.
MagCloud started as an incubation project in HP
Labs, the company’s central research arm, to evaluate new, online
marketplaces for buying and selling custom magazines with a
print-on-demand delivery method. Since its launch in February, the
service has presented a significant opportunity for brands and content
publishers to build and extend their community reach using highly
targeted print products.
In an increasingly digital world, HP is using Internet-based platforms
to provide new business models and services to help customers capitalize
on the industry’s shift toward cloud computing, a driving force behind
HP’s "Everything
as a Service" vision. With Everything as a Service, HP is striving
to reshape the computing industry by creating more dynamic,
user-friendly services that enrich everyday lives and improve how
organizations do business.
In addition to its collaboration with Wikia, HP announced
that BookPrep, another cloud service derived from HP Labs that
enables on-demand printing of books, will make more than 500,000 rare or
out-of-print books available for sale through a collaboration with the
University of Michigan Library. More information on HP BookPrep is
available at www.hp.com/idealab/us/en/bookprep.html.
The new MagCloud-enabled custom printing service for Wikia communities
is immediately available.
About Wikia
Wikia is now a top 100 site on the Internet, according to Quantcast (www.quantcast.com/p-8bG6eLqkH6Avk),
and was founded by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley as
the place where millions of passionate people come to discover, create
and share a shocking abundance of information on thousands of topics.
Wikia’s community-written sites range from video games, TV and movies to
health and environmental sustainability. Wikia attracts more than 9
million unique visitors in the U.S. per month to its 50,000 enthusiast
communities and nearly 3 million pages of content.
About HP
HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology
experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans
printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure.
More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com/.
Note to editors: More news from HP, including links to RSS feeds, is
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This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties
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assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events;
the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers,
suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and
financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009
and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does
not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information
contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only
warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express
warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing
herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP
shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions
contained herein.
Source: HP
HP
Erin Hitch, +1-650-857-4196
erin.m.hitch@hp.com
or
Wikia
Carol
Wentworth, +1-650-799-8810
carol@wikia-inc.com
or
HP
Media Hotline
+1-866-266-7272
pr@hp.com
www.hp.com/go/newsroom
