| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 in Cleveland |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Steve Potash (Pres and CEO) |
| Industry | Computer Software, Digital Content Management, Publishing, Library Services |
| Products | OverDrive Media Console, Digital Library Reserve, Content Reserve for Retailers, Content Reserve for Publishers, Private Reserve, MIDAS, Adobe ADEPT |
| Website | overdrive.com |
OverDrive is an American digital distributor of downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video titles. The company’s core business is the management of digital content for publisher, libraries, schools, and retailers. According to the company, OverDrive’s inventory included more than 500,000 digital titles from more than 1,000 publishers in March 2011.[1] The company’s global network includes more than 8,500 library, college, K–12 school, retail, and publishing partners.[2] OverDrive was founded in 1986 by Steve Potash and is located in Cleveland, Ohio as of 2011.[1]
Contents |
OverDrive was founded in 1986, initially converting analog media to digital formats such as interactive diskettes and CD-ROMs. As the Internet became a reliable form of digital media distribution, OverDrive moved its services online. In 2001, the company opened Content Reserve, an online eBook and download audiobook repository from which its distribution business would develop.[3]
Library & Schools
OverDrive's Digital Library Reserve, a digital download platform for public libraries, was then launched in 2002.[4] It started as an eBook distribution service, which included a customized download website and access to the Content Reserve collection development portal, among other features. In 2004, the platform evolved into a provider of DRM-protected audiobook downloads.[5] By 2005, OverDrive was installing download stations into public libraries[6] and adding classical music to its library platform.[7] Download video was added in April 2006.[8] In 2007, School Download Library, a service for K–12 schools based on Digital Library Reserve, was launched. March 2008 brought an announcement of plans to provide MP3 audiobooks to public libraries as well as retailers.[9]
Retail
Before entering the library market, OverDrive distributed eBooks to a number of e-tailers. In 2002, OverDrive was selected as the distributor of HarperCollins’ eBooks to the publisher’s online retail stores.[10] OverDrive launched web stores for Harlequin Enterprises in 2005.[11] In 2008, OverDrive announced that it would provide download services for Borders Books.[12]
OverDrive has entered into partnerships with technology companies including Microsoft, Mobipocket, Adobe Systems. In 2008, Adobe and OverDrive jointly announced that OverDrive would be the co-developer and operator of Adobe ADEPT, a hosted DRM service to protect files viewed with Adobe Digital Editions.[13]
OverDrive’s download services include several Software as a Service products for libraries, retailers, schools, publishers and the military. Content Reserve, which currently holds more than 100,000 digital media titles, serves as a collection development portal for OverDrive’s Digital Library Reserve platform. Publishers upload their content to Content Reserve and apply DRM-settings for protected content. Libraries can then log into Content Reserve and add content to their download website. Retailers can also use Content Reserve to supply their online store. OverDrive’s other web-based products for content protection and management include:
Private Reserve-a private, online repository for rightsholders to upload, organize, protect and distribute their eBooks, documents and other digital material
MIDAS-a white label e-retail solution that allows retailers to sell OverDrive distributed media
Adobe ADEPT-a hosted service for protecting files viewed with Adobe Digital Editions
All OverDrive distributed e-books, audiobooks, music, and video play in a proprietary media player called OverDrive Media Console, while e-books can also be downloaded and played in Adobe Digital Editions software.
Libraries providing digital media titles to their users can be found through the Overdrive Search portal.
OverDrive takes an active role in the promotion of its partner libraries’ download website. The company’s Partner Services department leads these efforts.[14] OverDrive also holds a biennial user group meeting called Digipalooza to train and educate librarians on the download service. Held in Cleveland, Ohio, the event focuses on trends, best practices, and outreach ideas for public library download websites.
At the 2008 Public Library Association National Conference, OverDrive unveiled the preliminary plans for the nationally touring Digital Bookmobile.[15] The traveling exhibit is housed inside an 18-wheeler and was planned to visit public libraries using OverDrive’s Digital Library Reserve platform. Inside the tractor-trailer, learning stations would guide patrons through all aspects of their public library’s download service.
In 2011 the CEO of OverDrive, Steve Potash, made obvious hints that the Amazon Kindle will join other major e-readers in public libraries as soon as September 2011. In his "Crystal Ball Report" during the final session of OverDrive's Digipalooza conference, in July 2011, he hinted at the month with the following list:
OverDrive is criticized for relying on digital rights management protection technology from Microsoft for the bulk of its audiobooks. Microsoft's refusal to update its Macintosh versions of Windows Media Player to accommodate the requisite encryption scheme disables Apple computer users from accessing the bulk of OverDrive's files, which are formatted as Digital Rights Management (DRM) Windows Media (WMA). In March 2008, OverDrive announced that it would distribute a collection of around 3,000 audiobooks in the MP3 format, which is a vastly more compatible file format.[17]
On November 19, 2008, OverDrive also released the OverDrive Media Console for Mac, which allows Mac owners to download and listen to MP3 audiobooks from their library on a home computer.[18] Mac users continue to be denied access to OverDrive's WMA DRM files.
In January 2009, OverDrive informed Fictionwise that they would no longer be providing downloads for purchasers of e-books through Fictionwise as of January 31, 2009. No reason was provided as to Fictionwise why they were being shutdown. This prevents previous purchasers from being able to renew their books on new devices.[19] Fictionwise was working to provide replacement ebooks for its customers in alternative, non-DRM-protected formats, but did not have the rights to provide all of the books in different formats.[19]