Symtio Expands Its Book Publishers' All-Star Team

Symtio, the first multi-channel digital media platform for retail, has added several power hitters to its lineup of all-star book publishers, including Christian Audio, Harper One, Tyndale House, Thomas Nelson and Oasis Audio. The alliance with these premium Christian content providers solidifies Symtio as the digital solution for Christian retail bookstores.

These content providers give consumers the variety and depth they want in digital media, said Joe Questel, Symtios business development vice president. The new content providers represent hundreds of significant titles and best sellers.

Symtio launched its digital platform in the fall of 2008 with two leading book publishers, Zondervan and Baker Publishing Group. Now Symtio has expanded to several publishers representing a wide range of eBooks and audiobooks.

Several digital media titles from the new publishers will be added to the Symtio display this summer, and all their digital content will be available by the end of the year.

"Symtio is a bold initiative to connect retail and digital product distribution, said Dan Balow, publisher of Oasis Audio, who brings 30 titles to Symtio, including top-selling audiobook, The Shack. We are eager to add new channels of distribution for our products and have committed some of our top titles to prove the concept."

Todd Hoyt, cofounder and director of sales and marketing for Christian Audio, brings 300 titles to the platform, including best sellers like UnChristian and Desiring God. He believes Symtios pioneering digital media platform will help grow the audio market. He thinks there are major advantages for a retailer carrying Symtio product.

Number one, its definitely price-sensitive as a media and its 30 to 50 percent lower than what a normal audiobook CD product is, so thats an advantage, said Hoyt. The product and the inventory cost to the dealer is also lower, and that allows the dealer to hopefully stock more audiobooks at a greater depth that they would have in the past.

Bookstores need to provide topical, relevant and compelling products for their customers. Symtio provides the foundation with its digital platform, and now delivers expanded digital media from blockbuster content providers like Christian Audio, Harper One, Tyndale House, Thomas Nelson and Oasis Audio.

We feel that with those additions and formats, we have retailers covered with just about any kind of digital content that their consumers would want, said Questel.

Symtio, a division of Zondervan, is the first multi-channel digital media platform for retail. Customers at traditional retail locations can purchase eBooks and MP3 audiobooks inside stores (with music and movies coming soon). They can then download the digital media anywhere with an internet connection. Its the link between digital media and the retail experience.

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