What is new in Adobe Content Server 6 and Adobe Reader Mobile SDK 11?

Adobe Content Server 6 includes new features which enable distributors to avail variable pricing based on Geo, Publisher recommended price, and subscription. Now, ACS also supports bulk fulfillment on multiple devices for distribution across organizations. Schools can use the new School model feature allowing them to access books in their own devices through distributor’s centralized application. While packaging books, you have an option to enforce resource level DRM hardening. Also, you can specify the EPUB reader version while packaging.

RMSDK 11 supports EPUB 3.0 including its four specifications: EPUB publications 3.0, EPUB Content Documents 3.0, EPUB Open Container Format 3.0 and EPUB Media Overlays 3.

How do I set up Bulk fulfillment?

Distributor ID and special ID for bulk fulfillment needs to be captured offline and entered in the Adobe hosted database. Assumption is, the vendors setting up the bulk fulfillment model will be in touch with our business team and this detail will be captured and entered in our system.

How do I set up School Model?

Distributor id and vendor ID for the school model needs to be captured offline and entered in the Adobe hosted database. Assumption is, the vendors setting up the school model will be in touch with our business team and this detail will be captured and entered in our system. This is essentially the same model how new vendor id setups work today.

Does Adobe RMSDK support DRM hardening feature?

Adobe Content Server 5 and above version, Adobe Reader Mobile SDK 10 and above version include an improved and hardened DRM solution to protect PDF and ePub files from unauthorized viewing.

Why did Adobe deliver a hardened DRM through ACS 5 and RMSDK 10?

Our customers have been requesting Adobe to improve the level of content protection offered by Adobe Content Server 4.x. Responding to that request Adobe offers an option in Adobe Content Server (ACS) 5 and Reader Mobile SDK (RMSDK) 10 to allow our customers (publishers, resellers, schools and libraries) the choice to leverage an improved and hardened DRM solution in their eBook business.

Will Adobe require customers of ACS 4.x to migrate to ACS 5?

Adobe has no plans to discontinue support of ACS 4.x. Our ACS 4.x customers would be able to continue with their operations and deliver eBooks to RMSDK 9.x or earlier, as well as RMSDK 10.  Adobe believes that it is the choice of the customers to decide if they want to take advantage of the enhanced DRM or continue with the existing DRM. Adobe will not force any customer to the new DRM. Your existing devices, applications or content will continue to operate as they are today.

Is Adobe planning to discontinue supporting ACS 4.x?

Our DRM service will continue to support delivery of eBooks using ACS 4.x.

If I have an existing Adobe-compatible eBook Reader based on RMSDK 9.x, can I access existing books after this technology transition?

eBooks purchased by our users will be accessible through eReaders built on RMSDK 9.x or earlier, as well as the new eReaders build on RMSDK 10. They would be able to side-load as well as re-fulfill these purchases across multiple devices as they are able to do so today.

If I have an existing Adobe-compatible eBook Reader based on RMSDK 9.x, can I buy books after this technology transition?

Users of eReaders using RMSDK 9.x or earlier are always encouraged to stay current with the latest versions of the eReaders based on the latest version of RMSDK to avail of the best in class-features and functionalities.  eReaders from RMSDK 9.x or earlier would be able to fulfil and access eBooks from ACS 4.x, as well as side-load and re-fulfil as they do today.  The same holds if you are downloading eBooks from an ACS 5 server, without the mandatory hardened DRM flag. If the eBook needs to be downloaded from ACS 5 server with the mandatory hardened DRM flag set, you need to use an eReader based on RMSDK 10.  All eBooks already fulfilled through your existing eReaders, will continue to be accessed through all RMSDK-based eReaders. (Please see the chart below for a complete matrix of compatibility).

Will ACS 5 always deliver hardened DRM?

ACS 5 has an option to deliver eBooks with the hardened DRM.  But the choice to mandatorily deliver only eBooks with hardened DRM is left to the customer.

Customers can enforce DRM hardening by setting a flag in ACS 5, which will only deliver DRM hardened eBooks to the users and the users can fulfill or access them using eReaders based on RMSDK 10.

Customers can switch off the above mentioned flag, thereby allowing users to fulfill a non-hardened DRMed eBook through eReaders using RMSDK 9.x or earlier as well as eReaders using RMSDK 10.

DRM hardened eBooks can be sideloaded or refulfilled ONLY on eReaders based on RMSDK 10.  (Please see the chart below for a complete matrix of compatibility).

Is an upgraded version of Adobe Digital Edition based on RMSDK 11 available?

Adobe Digital Edition 4.0 based on RMSDK 11 is available on the Adobe web site and can be downloaded from 
http://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions/download.html.

Note

Some of the new ACS features may not work with the older versions of RMSDK.
For a detailed information on the versions supported for ACS 6 and corresponding fulfillment criteria, you can refer to the following matrix: