Microsoft and Barnes & Noble collaborate on eBook business

Amazon and Apple are literally dominating the eBook market and this means that smaller players are trying to collaborate to take on the giants.

While Google continues to remain a lonely player, Barnes & Noble has partnered with Microsoft to form a new entity focused on digital reading experience for the consumers.

Microsoft is investing around USD 300 million in this new venture. Barnes & Noble would own approximately 82.4% in this company which is yet to be named.

Microsoft announced that they would ship NOOK eBook reader app with Windows 8 which could massively boost the user base of B&N.

B&N said:

The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the NOOK business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments. Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business.