Borders Books just took a seat on the e-book store bandwagon, announcing that it too will be selling digital books in 2010. Unfortunately for Borders, no one really cared and Barnes & Noble had a good laugh. So Borders tried another announcement and did a little more name dropping this time—saying it will be partnering with e-reading service Kobo.
Kobo is an e-book store that develops digital storefronts for a variety of mobile platforms. Kobo has provided storefront service for Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s BlackBerry, various Android devices and the Sony eReader. What Kobo will be doing for Borders is creating a branded version of its own e-book store, using the familiarity of the Kobo name. This is a good move for Borders, but the endeavor is still a form of “catching up.”
There are definitely downfalls to Borders’ new digital venture: Borders isn’t providing it own mobile device like Barnes & Noble does with its Nook and the bookseller definitely arrived late to the e-book store party, so it will most likely be lost among the masses of other e-book sellers. There isn’t much to set Borders apart from the rest and the bookseller’s recent real-world issue will most likely be mirrored in the digital realm as well—low book sales, lack of innovation, and abandoning readership.
