ITWire

Newsstand is a feature of iOS 5 that handles newspaper and magazine subscriptions, downloading new issues in the background and displaying the cover of the latest issue. Several well-known publishers are using Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to create their Newsstand-enabled apps, including National Geographic, Reader's Digest and Condé Nast.

Adobe officials say Bonnier, Dennis Publishing, Newsweek, Rodale, Smithsonian, and Wenner Media will soon join that list.

While Newsstand is an iOS-specific function, Adobe Digital Publishing Suite can generate apps for Android and BlackBerry devices.

"We are seeing rapid adoption of Adobe Digital Publishing Suite among publishers that want to create exceptional, engaging apps enabled for Newsstand that reinvent the magazine experience while making digital content more easily discoverable and marketable," said Todd Teresi, vice president and general manager, media solutions, Adobe. "Adobe technology is lowering the barriers to publishing digital editions of magazines and newspapers as well as enabling publishers to better showcase and merchandise digital content on iOS devices."

National Geographic creative director Bill Marr said "Creatively, Adobe tools allow our editors to develop stories for print and electronic publishing simultaneously, keeping the message dynamic and flexible, and taking advantage of each medium's strength."

"Adobe Digital Publishing Suite support for Newsstand is exciting because it will put National Geographic magazine at users' digital doorsteps, making it easier for tablet users to explore the rich offerings enabled by the software," he added.

Adobe recently announced Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, Single Edition, which allows InDesign to be used to create interactive brochures, books and other publications that can then be published as iOS apps for a flat fee of $US395 per application.