Published: November 07, 2011
Barnes & Noble Partners with Leading Developers, Content Providers to Bring Expanded NOOK Apps Experience to NOOK Tablet
NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer
of content, digital media and educational products, invites leading
third-party developers and content providers to join its robust NOOK
Developer program and build upon the amazing collection of high-quality
applications optimized for NOOK devices including the just-announced
NOOK Tablet and award-winning NOOK Color . In just one year, NOOK
Developer has experienced tremendous momentum and success, drawing the
interest of leading developers and content companies around the world to
offer their popular, high-quality apps to Barnes & Noble's expansive
customer base who have made millions of downloads.
The bestselling NOOK Apps have grossed over $100,000 in the first 30
days of sale. According to a recent Evans Data benchmarking survey of
the NOOK Developer community, commissioned by Barnes & Noble, the NOOK
storefront is the number one Android-based application platform in terms
of revenue channels, and the number two platform overall. Hundreds of
third-party developers and content providers have benefitted from
bringing their applications to the NOOK platform, citing unprecedented
revenue and unique methods of driving discovery and demand of their
content and applications. Among the factors contributing to their
success, developers attribute access to Barnes & Noble's loyal,
integrated customer base, the unique benefits of NOOK's open Android
platform, and joint physical and digital merchandising opportunities.
"We are excited about the exponential growth of our NOOK Developer
program over the last year since we launched our bestselling NOOK Color,
and with the launch of our new reading and entertainment-centric NOOK
Tablet, we are providing even more opportunities for third-party
developers and content providers to reach millions of Barnes & Noble
customers and offer high-quality apps to enrich and enhance the content
experience," said Claudia Romanini, Director of Developer Relations at
Barnes & Noble. "Our partners have provided a vast array of fun games,
puzzles, children's and other helpful apps on these devices and tell us
our app curation model is working very well for them. Developers and
content providers are also thrilled with the opportunity to reach our
customers and market their apps through a blended online and offline
experience - through the device, in stores and the newly announced NOOK
Digital Shops ."
NOOK Tablet was built for power and speed, with a highly tuned 1GHz
dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Lightweight and designed for maximum
portability, the device also features a built-in microphone. In pace
with the ever-evolving digital landscape, NOOK Developer is continuously
enhancing its tools and services to enable developer success with NOOK
Apps - from providing updates to its SDK to support NOOK Tablet's new
features, to streamlining ingestion and enabling new merchandising
programs. Effective immediately, Barnes & Noble is inviting developers
from both the United States and abroad, enabling international
developers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Canada and more, to
submit apps to sell in the NOOK storefront in the U.S.
The NOOK Developer team has also partnered with Appcelerator, the
leading mobile cloud platform for rapidly developing native mobile,
desktop, and tablet applications using open web technologies to
accelerate the deployment of Appcelerator Titanium apps on
Barnes & Noble's digital storefront. And, through a new partnership with
Mobihand and its ChannelConnect service, B&N is excited to extend the
reach of the NOOK storefront to Mobihand's developer community, bringing
more best-in-class apps and catalog depth and breadth to NOOK customers.
First available on the company's award-winning NOOK Color - and now NOOK
Tablet - NOOK Apps take advantage of the world's most advanced VividView
touchscreen display, to offer the richest content experience available.
NOOK offers the best assortment of the most popular games,
entertainment, productivity and children's apps: from word games to
weather, movies to music, dining to decorating, and anything else in
between. NOOK Tablet will extend the catalog with thousands of new,
exciting additions, from partners including Netflix, with a pre-loaded
app on NOOK Tablet, plus apps available through the NOOK storefront from
MOG, Break Media, Ustream, Smithsonian Channel, TV.com, Rhapsody,
TuneIn, Grooveshark, Rovio, EA Mobile , Conde Nast, Concrete
Software, Loudcrow, Oceanhouse Media, Drawing Pad, iStorytime and more.
With the quality collection of NOOK Apps, customers can choose from a
selection of only the best apps available, and enjoy a simple, organized
way to discover and purchase apps - right alongside their favorite
books, periodicals and more.
Developers are invited to join and submit their applications by visiting www.nookdeveloper.com.
Built on the Android OS, it is fast and easy for third-party developers
to deploy existing Android-based apps to NOOK's open eReading platform.
Unlike other developer programs, there is no program fee for developers
to participate. Developers who qualify will be able to submit paid and
free apps and will receive 70 percent of any paid app purchased by
Barnes & Noble customers. Developers also have the option to offer free
trials to NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color customers.
Accolades from NOOK App Developers and Content Providers
Netflix: "We are thrilled to offer Netflix on NOOK Tablet,
providing instant, unlimited access to tens of thousands of hours of
movies, TV shows and more, wherever and whenever for a low monthly
price," said Bill Holmes, Vice President of Business Development at
Netflix. "With Netflix preloaded on NOOK Tablet and downloadable on the
updated NOOK Color, members will have yet another way to enjoy unlimited
hours of entertainment. Streaming video from Netflix looks great on
NOOK. For those who are not already Netflix members, we are excited to
offer a free 30-day trial of our service."
Rovio: "NOOK Tablet's display and speed make for a wonderfully
colorful and dynamic Angry Birds gameplay experience." - The Mighty
Eagle, Peter Vesterbacka
EA Mobile: "SCRABBLE is truly America's favorite word game and
consistently a top performing app across devices," said Nick Earl,
Senior Vice President & General Manager EAi Studios at Electronic Arts.
"Our vision is to deliver the games like SCRABBLE that people love to
play anytime, anywhere. The enhanced speed of NOOK Tablet will deliver a
nimble experience to keep fans on their toes, and the crisp graphics
will make scoring a seven-letter word that much sweeter."
Rhapsody: "We want to give our members access to all the music
they love, wherever they are, on all their favorite devices," said Brian
McGarvey, Vice President, Business Development, Rhapsody. "Rhapsody is a
perfect complement to NOOK Tablet's immersive media experience."
MOG: "As a premium entertainment-focused device, NOOK is the
perfect platform for music lovers to enjoy unlimited music, on-demand
from MOG's catalog of over 13 million songs," said MOG's SVP of Business
Development, Drew Denbo. "NOOK customers will enjoy the ultimate
listening experience including unlimited downloads, artist based radio
and a vast library of playlists."
Break Media: "As the anchor site of the Break Media Properties,
break.com has become the number one comedy site on Earth, making its
name synonymous with quality entertainment," said Huan Le, SVP of
Business Development for Break Media. "The new break.com app for NOOK
Tablet brings our top quality video and editorial content to one of the
largest tablet communities in the world."
Ustream: "We are excited to have our Ustream viewing application
available at the launch of the new Nook Tablet and look forward to
bringing our premium content to a whole new audience of viewers," said
Jeff Finkelstein, Director, Product Marketing and Strategy.
Smithsonian Channel: "Smithsonian Channel's rich storytelling
explores the history of our planet, life and culture," said Joseph
Giraldi, Vice President, Digital Media at Smithsonian Channel. "This is
a wonderful opportunity to bring our diverse collection of video content
to NOOK's content-hungry customers, in rich, beautiful color."
TV.com: "The TV.com
app helps people find and discover the best videos from across the web,
and we're so excited to deliver our offering to NOOK Tablet and NOOK
Color customers," Paul Wehrley, General Manager of TV.com.
TuneIn: "TuneIn is excited to provide NOOK Tablet customers with
access to over 50,000 of the world's music, sports and talk radio
stations" said Carl J. Rohling, VP Business Development at TuneIn. "We
know that NOOK customers will love listening to their favorite radio
programming while enjoying their favorite digital reads, all on a
single, dynamic device."
Grooveshark: "We're excited to make Grooveshark available to a
new and diverse audience with the new NOOK App," said Josh Bonnain, Vice
President of Business Development at Grooveshark. "Our 35 million
monthly users will now be able to enjoy a globally-sourced library of
music in a new way--simultaneously listening to their favorite tunes
while enjoying one of the millions of books and periodicals available on
NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color."
Conde Nast - for Epicurious: "NOOK provides an extremely rich and
engaging experience for Epicurious app users," said Beth-Ann Eason,
Senior Vice President and General Manager of Epicurious. "We're so
excited to have the app on NOOK Color and now, the new NOOK Tablet.
Epicurious NOOK App users can enjoy content in the manner most
convenient to them - allowing them to search for, save and create
shopping lists from Epicurious' award-winning database of over 30,000
professionally created and tested recipes, whenever, wherever."
Concrete Software - for Aces Speed: "We are excited to have our
line of games running on Barnes & Noble's NOOK Tablet. The speed, power
of the device and display makes gameplay even more enjoyable and fun for
our customers." - Keith A. Pichelman, Chief Executive Officer, Concrete
Software, Inc.
Conde Nast - for Style.com: "We are thrilled to deliver the
Style.com experience on NOOK Tablet, with the latest designer looks, up
to the minute party coverage, and front-row runway and fashion videos -
all accessible on-the-go, said Dan Shar, Vice President and General
Manager, Digital, Fairchild Fashion Media. "Another way we practice what
we preach when we say 'See Fashion First.'"
Loudcrow - for Sandra Boynton, Barnyard Dance: "We've been
thrilled to offer our line of interactive books to the millions of
Barnes & Noble customers since NOOK Apps first launched. Our digital
books have definitely found a home on NOOK Color and we know our users
will also love them on the new NOOK Tablet," said Calvin Wang, Founder
and President, Loud Crow Interactive Inc.
Oceanhouse Media: "With 60 Oceanhouse Media book apps on NOOK
Color and the new NOOK Tablet, families can enjoy such all-time
favorites as The Cat in the Hat , Green Eggs and Ham, How
The Grinch Stole Christmas! and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer anywhere,
anytime," said Michel Kripalani, President of Oceanhouse Media. "Whether
traveling, in the classroom, or reading stories at bedtime with your
child, NOOK lets you conveniently build an app library of classic
stories that promote reading and provide educational content for the
youngest of readers."
Drawing Pad: "What we love most about NOOK is how the realistic
drawing tools in Drawing Pad jump off the screen when you use them. The
attention to detail in the NOOK Color - and now, NOOK Tablet - hardware
really helps us showcase our App!" - Darren Murtha, CEO, Murtha Design
Inc.
iStorytime: "Barnes & Noble's vast audience of avid readers has
responded incredibly well to our storybook apps," said Graham Farrar,
founder of zuuka. "The integration of interactivity throughout our
storybooks, such as The Smurfs and Transformers, makes for an even more
immersive reading experience than ever before on NOOK Color and NOOK
Tablet."
About NOOK from Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble's NOOK brand of eReading products makes it easy to read
what you love, anywhere you like with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive
digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to Barnes &
Noble's expansive NOOK Store of more than 2.5 million
digital titles, and the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of
popular devices. The new NOOK Tablet is Barnes & Noble's
fastest, lightest tablet with the best in HD entertainment from top
services and everything you want in a tablet at a great value ($249).
Both NOOK Tablet and the award-winning NOOK Color ($199)
feature a stunning 7-inch VividView Color Touchscreen to
read all of the content you love, shop popular apps, connect via email,
browse the Web and more. The NOOK Simple Touch ($99), is the
fastest, easiest to use reader with the world's best reading screen and
the longest battery life. Barnes & Noble offers NOOK owners Always Free
NOOK Support in any of its more than 700 bookstores, as well as free
Wi-Fi connectivity to enjoy the Read In Store
feature to read NOOK Books for free, and the More In Store
program, which offers free, exclusive content and special promotions.
Barnes & Noble was the first company to offer digital lending for a wide
selection of books through its LendMe technology, available
through NOOK eReading products. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble
stores and online at www.BN.com,
as well as at Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, Target, Radio Shack,
Books-A-Million, OfficeMax, Fred Meyer, P.C. Richard & Son stores, Fry's
Electronics and Systemax Inc. retailers.
In addition to NOOK devices, Barnes & Noble makes it easy for customers
to enjoy any book, anytime, anywhere with its FREE NOOK Reading Apps ,
available at www.nook.com/freenookapps.
Customers can use Barnes & Noble's free eReading software to access and
read books from their personal Barnes & Noble digital library on devices
including iPad , iPhone, iPod touch®,
Android smartphones and tablets, PC and Mac.
Lifetime Library helps ensure that Barnes & Noble customers will always
be able to access their digital libraries on NOOK products and
software-enabled devices and BN.com.
Barnes & Noble also offers NOOK Study (www.nookstudy.com),
an innovative study platform and software solution for higher education,
NOOK Kids (www.nookkids.com),
a collection of digital picture and chapter books for children, and NOOK
Books en espanol (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooksenespanol),
the first-ever Spanish language digital bookstore in the United States.
For more information on NOOK devices and eReading software, updates, new
NOOK Book releases, Free Friday NOOK Books and more, follow
us on www.twitter.com/nookBN
and www.facebook.com/nookBN.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a
Fortune 500 company, operates 704 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes &
Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes &
Noble, also operates 635 college bookstores serving over 4.6 million
students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the
United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through
BN.com (www.bn.com),
one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than
two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks).
Through Barnes & Noble's NOOK eReading product offering, customers can
buy and read digital books and content on the widest range of platforms,
including NOOK devices, partner company products, and the most popular
mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software.
General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the
Internet by visiting the company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
NOOK, NOOK Tablet , NOOK Simple Touch ,
NOOK 1st Edition , NOOK 1st Edition
Wi-Fi , NOOK Color , Reader's Tablet ,
PagePerfect , Best-Text , Fast Page ,
NOOK Books , NOOK Store , NOOK Bookstore ,
NOOK Newsstand , NOOK Magazines , VividView ,
ArticleView , NOOK Newspapers , NOOK Comics ,
NOOK Cloud , NOOK Apps , FREE NOOK
Reading Apps , PubIt! , NOOK Discover ,
NOOK Kids , Read and Play , Read to Me ,
Read and Record , NOOK Digital Shop , Read In Store ,
More In Store , NOOK Friends ,
LendMe, NOOK Library , NOOK
Boutiques , The Barnes & Noble Promise ,
NOOK Books en espanol , NOOK Study , Free Friday ,
Lifetime Library and Read What You Love. Anywhere You Like
are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter (www.bn.com/twitter),
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble)
and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/bnstudio).
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Mary Ellen Keating, 212-633-3323
Corporate
Communications
mkeating@bn.com
or
Carolyn
J. Brown, 212-633-4062
Corporate Communications
cbrown@bn.com
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