Today we, Encyclopedia Britannica, announced we will no longer print the encyclopedia set and that we are 100% digital. This has been a tremendous effort by the entire global organization to become a pure digital company: Not many media and publishing companies can state this.
This so exciting in many ways but the real excitement is the mentality to drive and embrace change while innovating at all levels within the team. Surprisingly, this news of the digital transition has been embraced by all media including core technology trade outlets like Mashable.com and Techcrunch.com.
The digital revolution and a start-up mentality has driven product innovation within Britannica over the past 12-24 months to introduce new products like:
- SmartMath - an digital, adaptive learning math product for K-8th grades
- ImageQuest - an license-free, image product of > 2.4M source images for the education market
- Pathway Science - a smart-board based classroom science product to teach misconceptions of science for 6-8th graders.
- Ipad App - an overall new experience of our Britannica content.
Change is good. Innovation is critical. And transitioning to become the oldest start-up is essential to continue growth.
Greg Healy
Chief Product Officer
Encyclopedia Britannica
Digital Innovation. Advancing Education.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401555,00.asp
http://allthingsd.com/20120314/a-big-digital-kiss-to-britannica-change-it-is-okay-look-it-up/
