Digital Solutions - Secure eBook for Training

Summary

• Secure eBooks protect Intellectual Property through Digital Rights Management
• Can be cheaper for distribution
• Costs of £25 per book set up and £12-15 per delegate for distribution
• Advantage of being a modern ‘tech’ alternative to printed manuals with no limit to size of book, perpetual access, as well as on-line and off-line availability.
• Disadvantages – include potential issues with firewalls and security systems and the need for a change in mind-set of the trainer.

 

As training courses move from face to face to virtual training the standard printed training manual can seem expensive. The costs of printing and binding have not changed but shipping 10 books to 10 individual addresses instead of one, can have a significant effect.

Sending a PDF of the course materials is dangerous. Once sent, the PDF can become freely available on the internet and the intellectual property is lost.

A secure eBook uses (DRM) to protect the intellectual property.

DRM – Digital Rights Management which is explained in this blog post, is the technical system used to create protection – Amazon uses the technology on a Kindle Book.

PDI uses the eBook reader Kortext. Kortext is an internationally recognised academic eBook reader used by universities across the world. By providing the eBook as a DRM protected PDF, the receiver cannot forward, copy nor make multiple printed copies that they can distribute. The eBook can only be read within the reader and only by the recipient.

The reader is available to read on-line and off-line via an App. Yes, the reader can view on their phone or iPad but cannot share freely. The system also allows for the reader to make notes within the book and has various study tools which make the eBook more than just a flat PDF.

How much does an eBook cost?

To set up the DRM protection on a PDF will cost £25 per title – a one-off course for each book. Thereafter the book can be distributed via our email system at a cost of £10- £15 per book per delegate. The range is not due to volume discount but rather to the nature of the book and the study tools and analytics that could be made available. Easier to explain with an on-line demonstration. Expensive? Well since an overnight shipping costs can be £10* for a printed manual – no.

The cost is based on the download NOT the size of the book – heavy weight manuals with lots of colour cost the same.

 (*Assuming a single book to a single address within the UK)

Advantages of a secure eBook

As well as the advantage of security and protection of the IP – eBooks have some other advantages

• They offer cheaper distribution – especially if the delegates are overseas
• They are immediate – so that last minute registrants can receive the training manual. On the day of the course if necessary
• They avoid the carrying of heavy training manuals at the end of the course
• They give the impression of a training company being tech savvy and ‘modern’
• The PDI eBook will give perpetual access for the delegate – watch out for companies that do not give this assurance.

Disadvantages of a secure eBook

Secure eBooks are not for everybody though and being aware of the downsides is important.

• The printed manual gives participants something tangible for the cost of the training.
• The distribution of eBooks can give problems when training is with companies in secure environments – emails with links can be removed by firewalls and spam filters
• They do not completely replace the ‘workbook’ where the delegate is asked to fill in sections and there is high levels of interactivity with the material – the printed manual is much better in this respect.
• They require the trainer to understand and be familiar with the Kortext reader and capabilities – you will need to train the trainer. Whilst we can help with this and have some additional resources for this – the trainer must be willing to embrace a different way of working.

 

If you would like a no obligation on-line demo of the system contact enquiries@pdi.co.uk