E-book Industry to Grow Significantly in 2010: MIC

Taipei, Nov. 5, 2009 (CENS)--About 3.05 million e-book readers are expected to be shipped worldwide this year, up 177.3% from 2008, according to the Market Intelligence Center (MIC) of the Institute for Information Industry.

The center announced the forecast on the Digital Life Day of a series of information and communication technology (ICT) development forums held in Taiwan recently. MIC predicted that global shipments of e-book readers are expected to rapidly grow to 19.76 million units in 2013.

E-book content revenues in the U.S. market only reached US$63.4 million in the first half of 2009, compared to the US$52.4 million in whole 2008.

S.H. Wang, senior analyst of MIC, pointed out that the e-book industry has gone through the lead-product period, when the user habits, content preparation, business model forming and technical maturity developed into a better stage for pushing the new business into next growth stage. Judging from the expanding content sales in the U.S. market in the first half, the center said that the e-book line is expected to become one of few new lines enjoying highest growth rate.

MIC pointed out that, however, the e-book industry should pay more attention to regional market development, promotion of the e-book reader popularity, and brand-new reading experience promotion. In the first aspect, the center suggested companies to more aggressively introduce such new product into the educational market and establish sales channels. In addition, MIC also urged e-book related firms push more user-friendly interfaces and price-attractive products so as to upgrade the popularity of such reading device in shorter period.

To popularize reading experience, MIC said, companies should push more innovative and multimedia content to attract new readers.