Is cross-media publishing at risk?
Between the rapid growth of the Web and the promise of wireless services based on technologies such as WAP (wireless application protocol), the future of publishing seemed clear. "Create once, distribute many" would be the rallying cry for the next wave of content distribution, and many people involved in the sector remain loyal to that credo.
Matters don't look quite so rosy any more, however: The recent dot-com slump may wind up having a chilling effect on the bold cross-media plans of many publishing houses.
When the doubts come creeping in
The problem lies with the business model. Not so long ago, it seemed quite OK if online activities didn't make much money; sooner or later, things would sort themselves out (or so most people hoped).
And since everybody in the market seemed determined to take part in the revolution, never mind the cost, companies went ahead and found the funding necessary to build the first wave of Web sites and content-delivery systems.
Moving into true cross-media publishing, however, requires companies to vault technological hurdles and address new complexities of implementation and organization.
It entails profound changes in the nature of publishers' business and implies the sort of far-reaching mutations that companies only accept if they have no other choice.
But what if the goal of such changes no longer looks so essential? What if there's a good chance that cross-media publishing won't create the sort of revenues companies had imagined? How many publishers will still go ahead and go through the hassle and cost of implementing a true cross-media workflow?
Content providers' dilemma
This situation puts the bigger content providers in a difficult position. What should they go for: financial safety or a wager on the future? Right now, the scales are tilting in the direction of safety. Realism has taken over once again--and increased lucidity about potential revenues could mean that many of the more elaborate, costly projects will get shelved.
Not immediately canceled, mind you. Few content providers will stand up and say, "I have given up on cross-media publishing." But how many of them will quietly delay or put on hold developments started during the idealistic days of the Web?
In the midterm, the implications of this corporate change of heart could be enormous.
If there are no compelling revenue streams behind cross-media content, how much of it will be developed? If the complexity outweighs the benefit, the glorious vision of ubiquitous content available through any connected gizmo could well go the way of many utopian visions mankind has dreamed up.
But even short of this bleak view, cross-media publishing is overdue for a reality check. Once the novelty has worn off, it is all about answering consumers' needs--and on that level, we are still in very early stages.
Andreas Pfeiffer is an industry analyst and editor in chief of the Pfeiffer Report on Emerging Trends and Technologies. For several years now, the vision of cross-media publishing has fueled technology developments and content strategies alike.
Between the rapid growth of the Web and the promise of wireless services based on technologies such as WAP (wireless application protocol), the future of publishing seemed clear. "Create once, distribute many" would be the rallying cry for the next wave of content distribution, and many people involved in the sector remain loyal to that credo.
Matters don't look quite so rosy any more, however: The recent dot-com slump may wind up having a chilling effect on the bold cross-media plans of many publishing houses.
When the doubts come creeping in
The problem lies with the business model. Not so long ago, it seemed quite OK if online activities didn't make much money; sooner or later, things would sort themselves out (or so most people hoped).
And since everybody in the market seemed determined to take part in the revolution, never mind the cost, companies went ahead and found the funding necessary to build the first wave of Web sites and content-delivery systems.
Moving into true cross-media publishing, however, requires companies to vault technological hurdles and address new complexities of implementation and organization.
It entails profound changes in the nature of publishers' business and implies the sort of far-reaching mutations that companies only accept if they have no other choice.
But what if the goal of such changes no longer looks so essential? What if there's a good chance that cross-media publishing won't create the sort of revenues companies had imagined? How many publishers will still go ahead and go through the hassle and cost of implementing a true cross-media workflow?
Content providers' dilemma
This situation puts the bigger content providers in a difficult position. What should they go for: financial safety or a wager on the future? Right now, the scales are tilting in the direction of safety. Realism has taken over once again--and increased lucidity about potential revenues could mean that many of the more elaborate, costly projects will get shelved.
Not immediately canceled, mind you. Few content providers will stand up and say, "I have given up on cross-media publishing." But how many of them will quietly delay or put on hold developments started during the idealistic days of the Web?
In the midterm, the implications of this corporate change of heart could be enormous.
If there are no compelling revenue streams behind cross-media content, how much of it will be developed? If the complexity outweighs the benefit, the glorious vision of ubiquitous content available through any connected gizmo could well go the way of many utopian visions mankind has dreamed up.
But even short of this bleak view, cross-media publishing is overdue for a reality check. Once the novelty has worn off, it is all about answering consumers' needs--and on that level, we are still in very early stages.
Andreas Pfeiffer is an industry analyst and editor in chief of the Pfeiffer Report on Emerging Trends and Technologies.