Bookstore chain Borders has finally announced an entrance into the e-book market, with the company expected to launch an online e-book store sometime in 2010.
Teaming up with Kobo, Borders -- which continues to struggle against Barnes & Noble -- plans to roll out a new service directly on Borders.com. Kobo will also have a separate store that will sell e-books to Apple iPhone, RIM BlackBerry, and other smartphones, according to the company, even though it's unknown how many consumers are interested in reading books on their smartphones.
Amazon, Sony, Barnes & Noble, and other companies have entered the e-book market as an increasing number of consumers become familiarized with the technology. The B&N Nook, which was recently rooted, along with the Kindle and other e-book readers, are all expected to have strong sales in 2010.
B&N is selling the Nook in retail stores, but Borders -- which doesn't plan on releasing its own e-reader in the immediate future -- currently offers a Sony e-reader in stores.
The company has been criticized on numerous occasions in the past for not announcing serious plans as to how it will market e-books. It's good to see both of the brick and mortar book giants finally attempting to compete with Amazon, which has had success with its e-book sales, along with more traditional books.
