ABSTRACT
In order to understand the decisions that publishers face with regard to developing digital businesses it is important to have a basic level of understanding about the technology involved. It is useful to see how the technology has developed and what the key building blocks are for publishing products as it can explain some of the reasons why the industry has developed in a certain way. It is also helpful to understand some of the basics behind the technology as it can impact on digital strategies in different ways. It can make it clearer why certain aspects of digital publishing cost what they do, something that is often questioned. This part of the book therefore outlines the main technical aspects of digital produc-
tion and digital products. It explains the evolution of some of the main technologies that are key to the creation and distribution of digital products today, showing how this history has influenced the way these products work. It also looks at some of the current technological developments that may well be key to newer digital products, as well as drivers for the industry and its structure for the future. This part is not very technical but should provide enough information for the non-
specialist to understand the basic components of the digital publishing environment. It selects those developments most useful when considering the way the industry is moving in terms of digital products. It does not go into detail about the way the technology works. However, by putting some of the main technical issues into the publishing context it aims to provide a useful starting point for the rest of the book.
