Digital Solutions
Although its birth was somewhat chaotic organizationally (not
unusual for a global standard), Onix is now governed by an
international steering committee representing 15 countries,
with oversight provided by the collaboration of Editeur, BIC,
Bowker, and BISG. To some degree, each of these organizations
still uses its own “flavor” of Onix, making it a useful standard...
but not as useful as it could be. BISG has actively promoted an
Onix certification program, and Payton estimates that Bowker
receives “clean” data, using the current Onix 2. 1 standard about
80% of the time.
The underlying problem facing the industry is that, with the
onrush of new technologies (smart phones, tablets, sensors, social
media, the cloud), Onix 2. 1 structures have become too limited
to handle new formats or marketing and promotional requirements. Thus, Onix 3.0—which began development in 2009
based on global user input—is a watershed for a number of reasons. It supports a wider range of data, including delivery format,
DRM protection, pricing in different markets, rights and royalties information, as well as links to information outside typical
book metadata (author videos on You Tube, etc.). Moreover, it
levels the playing field for small- and medium-sized companies,
which can now use the significantly expanded and disciplined
Onix 3.0 to reach a truly worldwide marketplace and take advantage of a much broader spectrum of online retailers.
Curiously, larger publishers may be at a disadvantage when
it comes to implementing Onix 3.0. As the number of people
entering information into Onix in given company rises, inconsistencies occur more often, according to Payton. In addition,
the sheer size of major publishers creates an even larger gap
between those tasked with implementing Onix and those responsible for the strategy and direction of the company. This
gap represents a vulnerability, especially as an understanding of
technology becomes more critical to the formulations of strategic responses to changes in the marketplace. Sayor of GiantChair
recalls that during a webinar organized by BIC and the
Bookseller last year, one of the publishers involved commented,
“What we need is a metadata expert on the board of directors!”
In one sense, however, experience with Onix gives all of publishing an advantage. One of the most disruptive technologies in
the coming decade will be the so-called Internet of Everything
(IOE). Cisco, the tech systems giant, estimates that there will be
some 50 billion “smart” things that can communicate with
digital devices and each other by 2020. The IOE will make it
possible for machines, processes, and disparate systems to be
interconnected across any value chain, linking end users and
creators through an integrated network. In a sense, Onix is a
forerunner of this, allowing the publishing industry across the
globe to maximize its many networks to create new service
opportunities, product differentiation, and revenue. As Michaels
at Macmillan warns, however, the “metadata being right, and
communicated correctly,” remains the critical factor. “Onix enables [all these benefits],” he advises, “only if everyone in the
supply chain does this.” ■
