The “groundbreaking” ArkansasOnline app is available to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette subscribers at the same time the print editions are delivered to homes in Arkansas.
The ArkansasOnlineiPad app is based on PressReader technology from NewspaperDirect, which partnered with the paper's development team to produce a "super app" that combines a digital replica of the daily printed edition with the online edition's live news feed, photos and soon, video. It also offers PressReader's advanced digital features, such as the ability to:
• Flip pages as if they are reading the printed publication
• Pan, zoom or rotate pages, articles and photos, and view them in stunning clarity
• Easily navigate publications, using thumbnails or tables of contents
• Open full articles in an easy-to-read text view
• Sit back and listen to the publication, using on-demand audio
• Share articles by email
"We believe this will be a valued product for our subscribers," said Democrat-Gazette Publisher, Walter Hussman. "Working with NewspaperDirect, we have been able to provide the newspaper everywhere, in any format, giving more value to those that pay to read our content. This iPad app delivers a great format, the original newspaper, on a device that makes it very easy to read and completely portable for an anytime-anywhere read of the latest news from Arkansas and beyond."
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has been a publishing partner of NewspaperDirect since 2003. Its titles are available through NewspaperDirect's Print-on-Demand network as well as on PressDisplay.com and its companion offline application, PressReader. This latest development represents an important evolution in the company's digital product strategy and is NewspaperDirect's first implementation of a "super app" edition using PressReader technology.
"We are honored to work with the Democrat-Gazette on this breakthrough application for the iPad," said Alexander Kroogman, CEO of NewspaperDirect. "By combining the best of PressReader technology with news alerts and multimedia content, we have created the next generation of a mobile news application that will set a new benchmark in the industry - one that we will replicate for our other publishing partners to help them increase audited circulation and monetize content across multiple distribution platforms and channels."
The publisher of the Democrat-Gazette, WEHCO, in partnership with NewspaperDirect, will be developing additional iPad apps for their other publications and rolling out more than 35 titles to PressDisplay.com and PressReader in the next few months, including seven magazines.
