Thinking globally but acting locally

Like many industries around the world, publishing is grappling with the best way to adapt itself to current trends in globalization. Once an industry that was often defined by national borders, publishing is increasingly borderless. Large publishing companies are continuing the trend of globalization and expanding internationally and becoming global organizations. At the same time, the emergence of digital content platforms has meant that geography is no longer a barrier to the distribution of the publishing industry’s products and services. Content can now flow freely across borders, while ambitious publishers can now think of almost the entire world as their core market. With digital, publishers can look to mature markets and developing markets to push their content out to as broad a base as possible.

This is good news, but it also requires companies that serve the publishing industry to rethink their own international operating model. At Publishing Technology, we have always been careful to follow global trends and have offices in Australia, Brazil, Japan and India to add to our main offices in the UK and US. One reason for doing this is we are seeing the beginnings of a trend where publishers are moving to a global operating model. This requires them to consolidate their systems to gain efficiencies and distribute content globally rather than locally.

Sucessful technology companies must create systems that have been built to be global (multi launguage, multi currency and able to handle many taxation models). We have done this to anticipate growth into new markets as well service our existing large clients who either want to open publishing ventures in new markets or consolidate systems internationally.

In February 2011 we announced that we would open an office in Paris. France is a hugely important publishing market and, by opening an office for Publishing Technology in France, we are confident that we can grow our customer base and revenues. Globalization applies to us as an industry and we believe investment in global expansion will serve us well.

Jane Tappuni, Publishing Technology