M&M, an innovative MarCom consultancy, has entered into a strategic deal with Grapheast, a leader in publishing solutions for the Arabic market, to launch Adobe digital publishing system in Saudi Arabia.

The first-of-its-kind digital publishing system from Adobe will help create more engaging Arabic content experiences for consumers, said a statement from M&M.

Over the past few months, M&M has been working with leading magazines and organizations in Saudi and the region to relaunch their publications to users who have iOS, Android and BlackBerry tablets with a richer, more engaging experience.

"The technology and workflow we have adopted represent a milestone in transformation in Arabic content publishing world that builds on the rich heritage available to achieve our vision of any device, any time, anywhere,' said Khalil Minawi, chief executive officer of M&M.

'With Adobe digital publishing, publishers can reach their current audiences and new audiences in a richer more engaging manner, thereby creating new revenue streams through additional distribution platforms and new advertising channels,' he added.

As one of Adobe's first digital publishing suite partners in the region, M&M now has access to one of the most advanced digital content publishing systems in the market.

Among global publications that have adopted the platform are Wired, Reader's Digest, Vanity Fair, Hindustan Times, and The New Yorker.

Waleed Kurdi, Grapheast Solution division manager, 'We are very excited about digital publishing systems and how they will transform the Arabic content landscape in the Middle East. Saudi has a significant Arabic content generating market and as such, we chose to start our focus here in the Arab world.'

An article is no longer a set of concise paragraphs, but a whole experience that can be made up of a written story, a video interview or sequence, a picture gallery, a 3D model and an animated graphic.

'The publishing industry in the Arab world has been talking about digital publishing for a very long time,' said Mohammed Alsarraj, general manager of content platforms at M&M.

'Today, we are a very important transformation point, where the technology can deliver multi-touch user experiences that users have become used to on tablets,' he explained.

'Seeing the revolution created by Apple's iPad and the coming generation of Android tablets, publishing houses now have the opportunity to reach new audiences locally and across the region,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service