Pressmart targets small newspapers aiming to go online

Digital publishing company Pressmart Media has rolled out hosted services for small print publishers that are planning to offer digital editions.

The hosted model cuts down on customers’ need to invest in specialized infrastructure and software, said Sanjiv Gupta, founder and CEO of Pressmart in Hyderabad, India, in a telephone interview last week.

On Tuesday, the company is launching ePortal, a hosted service which includes tools for content and interface management that will allow publications to post and update a variety of content to a domain of their choice. The offering also includes tools for advertisement management and analytics, Gupta said. Content can be delivered through a variety of channels, including the web, downloadable digital editions, mobile phones, RSS (Really Simple Syndication), e-readers and podcasts.

For small publishers, outsourcing digital publishing is not a convenient option because they would like more flexibility for customization and more control over the speed at which their Web sites get updated, Gupta added.

Last week the company announced an entry-level hosted self-publishing tool called eMag Lite. The Web-based program lets people publish an online magazine, for example. Pressmart's fees start $25 an issue and include one year of hosting, with prices increasing for more features. EMag Lite can also do newsletters and photo albums at different price points.

Pressmart, with headquarters in Hyderabad, India, claims to power the digital editions of publications from 49 countries.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.