Sesame Street Extends 40th Anniversary Celebration with Launch of eBook Offering, Powered by iPublishCentral Technology

Sesame Street Extends 40th Anniversary Celebration with Launch of eBook Offering, Powered by iPublishCentral Technology

Sesame Street titles published since its launch in 1969 will be made available as eBooks with rich multimedia content

NEW YORK, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization that produces Sesame Street, today is launching its first eBook collection for its millions of young readers as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. Impelsys, a global leader in electronic content delivery solutions, will be the exclusive licensee/seller of Sesame Street eBook content on www.sesamestreet.org/ebooks. A selection of Sesame Street eBooks are now available to read online for free, with additional titles to be added in January, giving users a preview of Sesame Street's eBook experience.

Through iPublishCentral, a revolutionary e-content delivery platform from Impelsys, Sesame Street titles will be available in one or more of three formats:

-- eBook - User-friendly and dynamic flip books.
-- Audio eBooks - Look and listen to stories. Featuring word by word
highlighting to help young readers connect visuals to word sounds.
Select titles will include Sesame Street character voices.
-- Interactive eBooks - Look and listen to stories, plus engage in
activities to enhance reading and learning skills. Titles in this
format will be available starting in January.

In spring 2010, Sesame Workshop and Impelsys will begin offering readers individual titles they can purchase or an annual subscription where they gain access to over 100 books and start their own virtual bookshelf. New titles will be added monthly.

Sesame Workshop will continue to offer children and their parents a rotating selection of five free eBooks, with one title being featured on the sesamestreet.org homepage each week.

"Partnering with a technology provider like Impelsys will help us leverage our library of 40 years worth of traditional print publishing," said Scott Chambers, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Media Distribution at Sesame Workshop. "iPublishCentral enables us to provide our audience with a new reading experience that will complement our ongoing print publishing titles. It simply supports our ongoing mission to provide engaging, educational media that will help children reach their highest potential."

"It is a privilege for us to be associated with Sesame Street, and it is our commitment to the entire Sesame Street community to deliver the best experience with these interactive books," said Sameer Shariff, CEO of Impelsys. "Like the hundreds of other publishers that have successfully launched digital strategies with iPublishCentral, Sesame Street is now able to expand access to its content, enhancing its messaging with state-of-the-art digital reading technology while opening up an entirely new publishing arm."

Sesame Workshop's best-selling title of all time "The Monster at the End of This Book" (Random House) is the first featured title being offered as part of the debut. This beloved classic, which has never been out of print, is available as an audio eBook where children can read along with their friend Grover.

iPublishCentral enables publishers of any size to make content available for sale online and promote their brands and titles across the Web through viral marketing. With minimal to no cost, publishers can transition content online and can offer readers a high-resolution digital reading experience with viewing/previewing, buying, renting and promotional capabilities through iPublishCentral, iPublishWidget and ViewInside.

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children's television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 140 countries, and other acclaimed shows to help bridge the literacy gap including The Electric Company and Pinky Dinky Doo. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About Impelsys

Impelsys, a leader in providing electronic content delivery solutions to the global publishing market, helps its clients compete, evolve and grow in an increasingly complex marketplace. Impelsys-powered technologies like iPlatform(TM) and VirtualPages(TM) help publishers deliver content online quickly and cost effectively. Impelsys' passion for client success has helped it build long-term partnerships with its customers becoming critical in the client's electronic delivery strategy. Leading clients include McGraw-Hill, Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Benchmark Education, Marshall Cavendish and Houghton Mifflin. Headquartered in New York, Impelsys operates across North America, Europe and India. For more information, please visit www.impelsys.com.

Source: Impelsys

CONTACT: Christopher Capot of KNB Communications, +1-212-505-2441,
+1-203-379-8019 (mobile), ccapot@knbpr.com or Jodi Lefkowitz of Sesame
Workshop, +1-212-875-6497, jodi.lefkowitz@sesameworkshop.org

Web Site: http://www.impelsys.com/

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