Category Archives: ereading

The Flemish eBook Platform (Vlaams eBoek Platform) RFPs are OUT

Yesterday (Nov 10th, 2011), there was great news : the VEP RFPs have been issued !

The specifications were finished in March, so it was about time that the RFP gets out.

One year ago, the specifications looked like that:

Now they look like that:

You can find the ful description of the target architecture on Bibnet’s website:
http://www.bibnet.be/portaal/Bibnet/Collectie/Vlaams_e-boekplatform/Overheidsopdrachten/

They should also land on IWT’s Innovation Platform’s website :
http://www.innovatiefaanbesteden.be/project/vlaams_e-boek_platform_%28vep%29

IWT, Boek.be and Bibnet finally got a GO to issue 2 RFPs :

1. VEP Basisinfrastructuur

The Basic infrastructure to import store, describe and index eBooks.

http://www.bda-online.be/ShowTender.aspx?tendernumber=177899922430426136

2.  Pre-commerciële aanbesteding voor de realisatie van prototypes voor het Vlaamse e-boekplatform

This is rather a call for innovation from the IWT for specific modules : Digital Reading, “Discovering+Browsing+Searching+Finding+Serendipty” (Grasduinen), Social DRM, Search and Marketing services. 
 
http://www.bda-online.be/ShowTender.aspx?tendernumber=118499922429535344…

Numeric Shool Project Proposal : Testing digital reading and tablets at school

Today we submitted, together with the Maurice Carême school in Wavre (Belgium), a project proposal in the context of “Ecoles Numérique” (Numeric Shool).

The project we submitted is called “Lecture Numérique à l’Ecole: Test de tablettes” (Digital Reading at School : Tablet Test).

Basically I proposed to prototype my reference architecture for School Ebooks :

http://www.appepaper.com/erra/ereading-scenarios/school-ebooks

Let’s hope we can get the funding for the project. We will see…

Logo Ecole Numérique…

Grand Opening of the Boekenbeurs 2011

Last week (Oct 30, 2011) I had the chance to be invited for the opening of the Boekenbeurs in Antwerp.

We were first invited to listen to the speeches of a.o. Geert Joris and Minister van cultuur Joke Schauvliege.  I was a bit dispappointed that no word was said about the Vlaams eBoek Platform (VEP), let’s hope it will be the case next year. I believe that the VEP is a major strategic initiative for the book sector in Flanders and that it needs to be supported by the top of the book sector.

After the speeches, I was mainly interested by the e-Paviljoen which nicely shows how digital reading (or e-reading) can be done in many ways: on e-readers, on tablets, on mobile phones, on computers….

For example, you could read a story on a wide touch screen.

After that we visited the fair. Here are some more pictures.


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Have a look at some eReading Solution Designs

You have again access to some of my eReading Solutions Architecture Designs.

Again ?

Yes. When I published my eBook (eReading Solutions Architecture) I decided to close the eReading Reference Architecture companion website. The reason is that I would like to know who reads what I write.

My approach in eReading is to look at the Architecture (AS-IS, TO-BE) and Goals before choosing or designing an eReading experience.

In order to better promote this approach I re-open the eRRA website wich contains some ideas I have on how to use eReaders and Tablets in B2C and B2B environments.

Let’s discuss !

I’m looking forward to interaction with my readers so please don’t hesitate to ask access to the website as a reviewer via this form : http://www.appepaper.com/reference-architecture/get-access

I hope to discuss eReading Architectures with you.

http://erra.appepaper.com/

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ePaper in Healthcare

In my eReading Reference Architecture I designed how ePaper Based eReaders (or tablets) could be used to help implement a decentralized Patient File. Extract from the Patient File Case:

“Rather than trying to centralize all Medical information within the various Data Centers (Hospitals, Mutuality, Doctor’s practices…), this medical information could be stored on mobile patient’s files stored on a simple eReader. This eReader would store all patient’s health information: Medical records (radios, exam results), past and future subscriptions, past and present illnesses, allergies, blood type… The Patient would keep his medical record on the eReader USB stick. An archiving service would be proposed by the Government in case the eReader is lost or broken. Of course patient could backup their files at home on their PC on other tiers like Google Health.“
On the eRRA website I have 2 diagrams illustrating the Patient File Scenario. If you are interested, ask for access here : http://www.appepaper.com/reference-architecture/get-access)

Here is an other example of using ePaper in healthcare: ePaper Patient Badges.

Fujitsu Creates First Ever E-Paper Patient Badges | Ubergizmo: “Fujitsu and Sapporo Shirakaba-dai Hospital have worked together to produce e-paper patient badges which for now they are currently aiming at just providing medical information as well as a queue number so patients will know when it is their turn, and will also help guide patients to the relevant rooms.”

See also http://www.appepaper.com/epaper-applications/healthcare …

DiCoDE et eRRA

Vous trouverez sur mon blog en Anglais un article qui décrit comment la méthode DiCoDE de Fabian Tilmant est très complémentaire de la mienne que j’appelle eRRA (eReading Refence Architecture).

eRRA insiste sur les objectifs afin de déterminer la bonne architecture. DiCoDE propose un modèle génerique pour penser aux canaux de fiffusion du contenu digital.

Le modèle DiCoDE peut donc s’inscrire dans la méthode eRRA.

A lire ici :http://appepaper.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-dicode-can-be-translated-into.html

 

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How DiCoDE can be translated into an eReading Solution Architecture (eRRA)

Recently, at a Mobile Monday event, I heard about DiCoDE, a framework developed by Fabian Tilmant.
I immediately noticed some similiarities between DiCoDE and my eReading Reference Architecture (eRRA) method. The “eReading content life cycle” can be mapped to the DiCoDE model. In the eRRA methodology we also work on 2 additional topics: the Business Goals and the Entreprise/ICT Architecture.
DiCoDE complements the architecture by providing a kind of “Generic Media Business Process Template”.
I might sound a little bit “Chinese” but it isn’t. These are just techniques to make sure your new Media initiatives will succeed

  • Achieve your business goals as a Media company
  • Make sure you will reach the Consumer by a set of channels
  • Develop a plan in terms of resources (IT Systems, People, Data, Entreprise/IT Architecture…)

Combinig DiCoDE and eRRA could achieve great results. Here would be a possible modus-operandi :

  1. Defining the business goals (eRRA Methodology, KAOS or GOESIR Method)
  2. Analysing the future Content Value Chain with DiCoDE
  3. Determine the architecture required to implement the value chain (ex: new Portal, new Production Process…) and document them over the 4 eReading Tiers (Archimate Notation). This provides a TO-BE Architectural overview.
  4. Compare the TO-BE Architectural overview with the AS-IS (what elements of the value chain do we have today ?) to provide a project plan

(Note the eRRA methodology can be applied on all kind of Media, not only on eReading. If the “eReader” is a Tablet, there is much more to do than just “read” on the “eReader Tier”.)

In order to illustrate a litle bit step 3 I have taken the DiCoDE building blocks and drawn them in an Architectural Overview over the 4 eRRA tiers.

How DiCoDE can be translated into the 4 Tiers of the eReading Architecturehttp://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=dicode-erra-110610090910-phpapp02&stripped_title=how-dicode-can-be-translated-into-the-4-tiers-of-the-ereading-architecture&userName=jfdeclercq
View more presentations from jfdeclercq.

If you want to give it a try (DiCoDE and/or eRRA), just contact us:

If you immediately want to know mode about the eRRA, you can get the eBook here :
http://www.appepaper.com/ereading
The DiCoDE ebook is not ready yet, so you’ll have to point your browser here :
http://dicodethebook.wordpress.com/dicode-the-model/…