Moving Media+ Launches Mag+ for Everyone

Staffan Ekholm

Today, Bonnier's Mag+ platform for the iPad has taken a big step forward with the launch of Moving Media+, a company created specifically to market and develop the platform. Mag+ was created as a tool for publishing not just magazines but books, newsletters, catalogs – publications that use photos, video and sound as well as text – on tablet devices.

But even bigger than the launch of Moving Media+ is the announcement that the platform will be free to use. "It won't cost anything to use Mag+ before you start distribution, a choice we strongly stand behind," says Staffan Ekholm, the CEO of Moving Media+.

Mag+ is designed for easy use – it functions as an add-on to popular graphic design software InDesign. "That means it can take anything from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours for a designer to create a whole new magazine experience in a tablet device," says Ekholm. Plus designers can work "live" in a tablet as they create their publications, which allows them to see their design as they work and saves significant time, he says.

Version 2.0 was just released and a further major upgrade will be made during 2011 – the focus will be on giving users tools for increasing the possibilities for interaction, including the integration of social media, among other things.

Currently there are some 25 Mag+ titles, a tripling of titles in a short amount of time – interest both within Bonnier as well as from others has been strong, Ekholm says. "During this year, we plan to make a mark in the U.K., Germany, France, the U.S., Japan as well as the Nordic countries," he says. "We want to establish our brand and be the first choice for all magazine and newspaper publishers, big and small. The biggest challenge is understanding where this new and fast-growing market is going and how we can best create business possibilities and succeed there. There's so much room for creativity and innovation, which is incredibly exciting for a player like Moving Media+."