Comments on: PW writes up XML services in India—and unwittingly raises a major question about U.S. technology and education http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-writes-up-xml-services-in-india-and-unwittingly-raises-a-major-question-about-us-technology-and-education/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:28:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Daniel Udsen http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-writes-up-xml-services-in-india-and-unwittingly-raises-a-major-question-about-us-technology-and-education/comment-page-1/#comment-1030034 Daniel Udsen Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:37:00 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/03/31/pw-writes-up-xml-services-in-india-and-unwittingly-raises-a-major-question-about-us-technology-and-education/#comment-1030034 One of the things we see right now is that asia in many way show a big deal of inovation of the high risk with minimal investment and a low demand for return kind you hardly ever see in the west particularly the US where it's billionary and celebrity in 10 years or bust exersices in burning cash fast. Or in short In india break even is enough to convince people to get involved in something. One of the things we see right now is that asia in many way show a big deal of inovation of the high risk with minimal investment and a low demand for return kind you hardly ever see in the west particularly the US where it’s billionary and celebrity in 10 years or bust exersices in burning cash fast.

Or in short In india break even is enough to convince people to get involved in something.

]]> By: Nick http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/pw-writes-up-xml-services-in-india-and-unwittingly-raises-a-major-question-about-us-technology-and-education/comment-page-1/#comment-1029844 Nick Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:29:28 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/03/31/pw-writes-up-xml-services-in-india-and-unwittingly-raises-a-major-question-about-us-technology-and-education/#comment-1029844 It strikes me that the reason underlying the Indian dominance in supplying crucial elements of the digital workflow is not ability, surely, but simple price. From the UK perspective, this is certainly the case. There are UK-based services offering ebook conversion, but by and large the best value for money is found on the subcontinent. The proficiency of Indian companies is not necessarily developed to put domestic firms in the shade, but to provide a level of trust so that US or UK publishers can feel confident entrusting their digital activities to individuals they are unlikely to ever meet. There is perhaps some truth that the quality of these Indian services has dampened the need for US/UK (and presumably elsewhere) publishers to develop their own ebook skills, but so much of the publishing workflow - typesetting, proofreading, printing, binding, picture research, the list goes on - is already outsourced, it is not surprising that ebook conversion should join this roster. The core business of publishers is managing intellectual property and making it marketable. So long as US publishers are aware of what can be done with ebooks, then surely the actual manufacture of the files is a moot point, whether they are done by the bloke at the next desk or by somebody on the other side of the world. It strikes me that the reason underlying the Indian dominance in supplying crucial elements of the digital workflow is not ability, surely, but simple price. From the UK perspective, this is certainly the case. There are UK-based services offering ebook conversion, but by and large the best value for money is found on the subcontinent. The proficiency of Indian companies is not necessarily developed to put domestic firms in the shade, but to provide a level of trust so that US or UK publishers can feel confident entrusting their digital activities to individuals they are unlikely to ever meet.

There is perhaps some truth that the quality of these Indian services has dampened the need for US/UK (and presumably elsewhere) publishers to develop their own ebook skills, but so much of the publishing workflow – typesetting, proofreading, printing, binding, picture research, the list goes on – is already outsourced, it is not surprising that ebook conversion should join this roster. The core business of publishers is managing intellectual property and making it marketable. So long as US publishers are aware of what can be done with ebooks, then surely the actual manufacture of the files is a moot point, whether they are done by the bloke at the next desk or by somebody on the other side of the world.

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