ArabNet Conference 2010: Trends and Perspectives in E-Publishing

A few months ago, a young entrepreneur had a crazy and ambitious dream: to create an online ecosystem of interconnected entrepreneurs in order to foster and connect the remote communities throughout the MENA region and to create opportunities for investment and development. Today, this dream is starting to shape up. More than 400 people have registered to attend the highly anticipated and first international conference for the Arab Internet Industry that was held in Beirut on March 25-26, 2010 at the Habtoor Grand Hotel.
Omar Christidis explained during a pre-conference workshop in Beirut, Lebanon the reasons which have led him to start this initative, and his belief in the potential of the Arab web business. The conference is, indeed, keen on bringing speakers from Silicon Valley, Europe and the Middle East, as well as providing the opportunity for entrepreneurs with ambitious e-ideas to network with major investors and internet executives from the Arab world, he explained. He discussed the goal of fostering remote communities and explained how the online ecosystem has been the most important and interesting vehicle to engage with different audiences. He also touched upon the importance of leveraging the power of communities to harness great ideas.
ArabNet built a community of enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, experts, businessmen and angel investors that spans all of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.  In collaboration with its supporting partners and media partners, ArabNet organized groundbreaking pre-conference workshops in 7 MENA countries to foster a sense of ‘ArabNet identity’, and instill continuity and longevity in the ‘ArabNet experience’.  Such was the success of these workshops that they have been featured in the news across the globe.  This community was further extended and strengthened by ArabNet’s pioneering use of social media to engage the world, from the very start, in dialogue about the conference’s vision, program, and speakers. Over 1,000 Twitter and Facebook users take part in this dialogue daily! In every country, expert entrepreneurs and experienced consultants are organizing workshops to guide young entrepreneurs in giving their ideas solid business plans and to share their success stories with them. There is strong support for the ArabNet conference, and a true belief that it is filling a huge need for an institution that can facilitate innovation and the creation of an ecosystem for idea creation and development in the MENA region.

As publishers and content producers, we of course, have to ask ourselves where we fit in the digital revolution. In late 2009, Apple announced the release of the iPad, a tool that will probably revolutionize the publishing industry, like the iPod revolutionized the music industry a few years ago.
In France, in late 2007, the National Library launched a program of mass digitization of books and documents with the participation of 18 publishing houses in Paris and the support of the National Book Center. Amazon’s Kindle sales beat records during the past holiday season. According to Forrester research, more than 3 million electronic readers were sold in 2009 and it is estimated that this number will double in 2010. The question is: what will our libraries look like tomorrow?

Personally, I never thought that the digital book would replace the traditional book. How can an electronic tool replace the beauty of a printed book, the elegance of its design, the tactile sensation of turning the pages and the intoxicating smell of the paper? The mere fact of being surrounded by a well-stocked library fills me with joy. But I'm curious to discover the innovations of digital technology and the richness it offers the reader: hypertext dictionary, magnification of character, possibility of immediate downloading, annotations, reading in the sun, unlimited storage, integration of audio and video. Moreover, the price of a digital book is much less expensive than a printed book. As the business models evolve, the price of an electronic reader will soon fall like all mass products. Adapting to digital culture and technology remains the real obstacle, but we can trust innovators to impose a trend, first as a cool accessory to own, then as a useful tool when one has grasped the advantages.
For Emily, director of communications for Tamyras editions, the ebook is a product of mass consumption that can store hundreds of books we do not consider buying in bookstores. In this case, the ebook does not replace the paper book; Emily will continue to buy her favorite books to keep in her library. For Vida who heads online sales at Antoine Online, the future of the book paper is not in danger, digital does not threaten the sales, and there are no substitutions.

The ebook certainly has practical sides such as the ability to carry a full library without bearing its weight, the option to buy a few chapters of a book, the interactivity that magazines and newspapers can benefit in display. However, “reading War and Peace on the Ipad must be tiring” says Carole, an actress and author with a little bit of humor. It would certainly be useful for Marilyn, project manager at Amphipole, to consult books or technical guides (search, copy / paste, annotation). This is where the ebook becomes a real tool.
The ebook is not intended to replace the paper book; the question is not whether we are for or against the ebook as the digitization of content is a natural tendency of market developments. For Cyril Hadjithomas, director of Amphipole, the real question is the potential of the commercial growth of digital books. Why are we talking so much about the digital book today? First its technical supports are more efficient and more enjoyable to read (electronic paper, LED screen) and second the commercial platform is more accessible. The Ipad can download books from an iTunes account, which means reaching out to tens of thousands of consumers who are already familiar with the platform and using it on a daily basis. Using the example of the music market again, to buy a single chapter is like purchasing a song (single track). This opens the door to a new market of consumers who do not buy the book but only relevant parts of the book. This makes the purchase cheaper, and generates sales more often.

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