The eBook reader market is poised for rapid expansion, with more than 30 million eReaders projected to ship in 2013.
“Digitized content is the key. It has been in the US that the most content has been translated to digital form. The companies that provide the devices also maintain tightly-integrated content stores that make access easy,” ABI Researcher Jeff Orr told TG Daily in an e-mailed statement.
“[However], in two or three years we will enter a period in which much more digital printed matter will become available in other countries and regions. Western Europe will be first, followed by Eastern Europe and Asia.”
According to Orr, the majority of eReaders are in fact designed and manufactured in China – although they have not yet made a significant impact on the local market.
“[This is because] China faces three barriers to eBook adoption: the lack of digital content, relatively lower levels of literacy, and device cost. [Clearly], for market success an eBook reader must be priced at less than US $100 equivalent. ”
“And once these obstacles begin to be overcome, China has the potential to be a major eBook market in its own right. [Of course], non-US markets will be less driven by booksellers, and more by publishers and perhaps even network operators,” he added.
