SingTel to close e-book service Skoob

Singapore's first e-book service, Skoob, will close in two months' time, after nearly two years since it was launched by SingTel. Sales will stop from September 24, and operations will cease from November 5.

"Despite a challenging market, we had a great run, and it wasn't an easy decision to make. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support," said Skoob, in an e-mail to customers.
Ä SingTel spokesperson told ZDNET that while the company had seen a steady response since Skoob's launch, it has decided to focus its resources on other parts of the business with stronger growth potential.
The Skoob app is currently rated 3 stars on Google's Play Store, with wide-ranging reviews. User Christina Yin cited better prices available for SingTel customers, but criticized the app's "buggy" interface.

The Business Times noted SingTel had last year shut down its magazine app store, de!ite, which was less than two years old.

Skoob's impending closure follows just months after another local player bowed out. MediaCorp shut down its ilovebooks service in April, less than a year after starting it up. Other e-book services still available include rival telco StarHub's Booktique, which has a focus on supporting local writers.

While the e-book services run on almost any smartphone or tablet, they faced intensifying international competition from the likes of Amazon and Kobo, which also tout their own e-readers.