WHSmith to Create Online Digital Media Store

Posted on March 15, 2002

WHSmith, the UK's largest books, stationery and magazine retailer, announced plans to expand its online ebookstore into an online digital media store featuring DRM-protected downloads of audio books, music and video in the Microsoft Windows Media format. The site is powered by OverDrive, Inc., a provider of ebook, DRM and digital media marketplace technologies.

WHSmith.co.uk, which says it already has over 2 million physical goods for sale online, will rollout the new digital inventory in phases. The company will first add audio books to its online product collection by early June 2002, followed by music, video, games and software. WHSmith expects to have its online digital media store fully operable by mid-October to take advantage of the Christmas season.

Using Microsoft's Windows Media audio, video and digital rights management (DRM) technology, OverDrive will securely package each music, video and audio book title in WHSmith's digital inventory. Shoppers will be able to instantly purchase and download products to personal computers, laptops, Pocket PCs and a variety of portable media players.

"The WHSmith online digital media store will be a one-stop shop for downloadable products, and will greatly enhance our product portfolio of physical goods," said Ross Beadle, Commercial Director, WHSmith.co.uk. "Through OverDrive's partnership with Microsoft, a leader in DRM technologies, we can ease the minds of our suppliers through protected packaging of their content, while enabling our customers to easily and securely download the digital products they want."