By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
Digital publishing platform provider Bookwire and leading Dutch distributor CB (Centraal Boekhuis) this week announced a new “long-term strategic partnership” to further transform digital distribution in the Dutch publishing market.Under the deal, which reps called “a major milestone,” Bookwire has onboarded CB’s entire digital catalog—some 80,000 ebooks and 25,000 audiobooks—and taken over digital fulfillment services for CB’s distribution network. But what makes the collaboration unique is what officials are calling its hybrid approach: Bookwire will operate as “the technology provider in the background,” while publishers will continue to work through CB’s system interface.
The collaboration serves more than 500 publishing partners and delivers content to over 200 distribution channels, including major platforms such as Kobo, the Dutch Royal Library (KB) and 130+ local webshops through the RDW network.
In a release, Jeroen van Eijk, IT Director at CB said the project represents “a significant technical milestone for CB,” allowing the company to adopt a new distribution platform, “phase out” legacy technology, and to offer the cutting-edge distribution technology and features that Bookwire OS offers. CB Commercial director Jochum Winkelman said the move combines CB’s “deep understanding of the Dutch publishing market” with Bookwire’s “international technology expertise and global distribution capabilities,” a combination that will benefit Dutch publishers.
“Our publishers and booksellers are at the heart of everything we do,” Winkelman said, stressing that the partnership give the company’s publishing partners access to the best technology, and would create “a stronger digital foundation for booksellers and platforms,” all while continuing to work through the CB interface they know and trust.
“This collaboration proves that innovation doesn’t mean disruption—it means empowering partners to serve their publishers better while opening new opportunities for growth,” added Bookwite COO Christian Lindemann, in a statement. “Working with CB has allowed us to combine our global technology platform with deep local market expertise.”