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Microsoft announced on Monday that it will take a $300 millionstake in bookseller Barnes & Noble's digital Nook e-book business,potentially paving the way for a new spin-off company. The new partnership will create a subsidiary that will include notonly the Nook business, but also Barnes & Noble's college textbookbusiness as well, according to The Associated Press . The deal also means Barnes & Noble will create a Nook applicationfor Windows 8, much like the company's existing e-book offering forApple's iPhone and iPad. Both companies also revealed that they are exploring thepossibility of spinning off the e-book and college businesses,which could result in a stock offering or sale. The partnership places Microsoft in the midst of the e-bookbusiness where Barnes & Noble has already been competing withApple's iBookstore and the Amazon Kindle platform. Apple alsoincreased its push for digital textbooks earlier this year, withthe release of iBooks 2 for iOS. Barnes & Noble also offers education-focused content with its ownNook Study software. That, along with its college booksellersbusiness, will now fall under the umbrella of the new subsidiary,in which Microsoft has a $300 million stake. "Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovationacross a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to notjust read stories, but to be part of them," said Andy Lees,president at Microsoft. "We're on the cusp of a revolution inreading." Lees was formerly the head of Microsoft's Windows Phone division,but was pulled from that role last December. Microsoft CEO SteveBallmer said in a memo at the time that he had asked Lees to work in a new,"time-critical" role "focused on driving maximum impact in 2012with Windows Phone and Windows 8." He said the change would allowMicrosoft to "really deliver" the potential Microsoft has with bothWindows 8 and Windows Phone. Though it still operates brick-and-mortar stores that sell hardcopies of books, Barnes & Noble has attempted to shift its businessto the digital world, selling the Nook e-reader hardware and also offering e-books through its Nook platform on a range ofdevices. The company lags behind Amazon's Kindle platform, whichsimilarly offers the Kindle e-reader hardware and multi-platforme-book software. "The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft areimportant parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growthof the Nook business, and to solidify our position as a leader inthe exploding market for digital content in the consumer andeducation segments," Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch said. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Precision Machined Parts Manufacturer , China Aluminium Die Casting Mould, and more. For more , please visit Plastic Injection Molded Parts today!
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