In April we reported that US-based bookseller Barnes & Noble was forming a partnership with Microsoft to combine Barnes & Noble’s digital eBook and College education businesses. The as-then unnamed company would be a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble but with Microsoft owning a 17.6% share. Patent litigation between the two companies was also settled at around the same time.
Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have now completed the partnership deal, naming the new company NOOK Media LLC.
Andy Lees, President at Microsoft, said “NOOK Media is a leader in developing the next generation of digital reading and we look forward to the company bringing one of the world’s largest digital libraries to Windows 8 devices via their upcoming Windows 8 app . We are also excited by NOOK Media’s product roadmap and expansion into markets around the world as demonstrated by their recent launches in the United Kingdom.”
A number of Nook eBook readers and tablets are due to go on sale in the UK within the next few weeks.