“Thalia Partners with Skoobe for New Tolino eBook Subscription, Eyeing Competition with Kindle Unlimited”
As Thalia announces in the press release reviewing the 2017/2018 fiscal year, they plan to acquire a 50 percent stake in Skoobe through a capital increase. However, this endeavor still requires regulatory approval.
Skoobe has been offering a successful eBook flatrate for several years, drawing praise for its high-quality selection due to its close ties with publishers. In our comparison, this eBook flatrate stands out for providing the best value for money.
No Focus on E-Ink Yet
From the perspective of avid readers, the biggest drawback of the service is its focus on smartphones and tablets with Android or iOS. This focus has structural reasons: it ensures independence from any external DRM providers and secures the prevention of unauthorized copying of borrowed eBooks.
Users with dedicated e-readers have mainly depended on unofficial support for various open Android models. Some time ago, there was even a sales partnership with the Dutch company Icarus: the Icarus Illumina was sold as a Skoobe special edition. This cooperation likely benefited both companies equally.
With the help of Tolino rooting access, tech enthusiasts could use the Skoobe app on eBook readers of the bookseller alliance up to firmware 11.x. However, since the last firmware update, it only works to a limited extent as the screen refresh is no longer triggered.
Form of Tolino Integration Uncertain
Judging by the number of emails I constantly receive about Tolino rooting, the potential use of Skoobe seems to be a major motivation for the process. Thus, Thalia is certainly making a wise decision here.
It remains to be seen how Skoobe will be integrated into the Thalia-Tolino system. Yet, the intention to proceed is clear: “Thalia customers will thus gain access to another attractive eBook subscription in addition to Tolino Select,” states the press release. Furthermore: “In collaboration with leading publishers, an attractive platform for digital subscription models is created for the industry, also available to other Tolino partners.”
It’s clear that Thalia aims to develop its own platform, which can be used by other Tolino partners too. However, the question remains whether this will actually happen, as the use of a third-party eBook flatrate could significantly impact the individual sales through the integrated store.
So far, all Tolino measures have been collectively decided or at least communicated as such. For example, Tolino Select is available with exactly the same conditions at every Tolino partner. A one-sided Skoobe integration could fundamentally alter the balance of the Tolino system.
Thalia vs. Amazon
Regardless of what developments continue within the Tolino community, with the integration of Skoobe, Thalia could suddenly become a serious competitor to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited offering—provided the monthly costs remain at the current level.
While Kindle Unlimited predominantly consists of self-published titles, Skoobe offers significantly more well-known and likely more appealing titles for the majority of readers. This could even encourage long-time Kindle users to switch. In any case, fewer avid readers may turn towards Amazon if the Tolino offering becomes more content-rich.
