Firebrand Technologies, a publishing technology vendor, has acquired the technology assets and brand names of Enthrill Distribution, the digital content distribution vendor founded in Canada in 2011.
The acquisition includes such Enthrill technology as PackaDRM, a social DRM software that will work on any device, and Endpaper Engine, an e-book delivery platform that works in conjunction with PackaDRM. The acquisition includes the Enthrill brand and other brands associated with the firm.
In addition, Enthrill CEO and cofounder Kevin Franco, will work as a consultant to Firebrand “for the foreseeable future.”
Firebrand Technologies director of Outreach and Education Joshua Tallent said Firebrand has been working with Enthrill and its distribution technology for two years. Firebrand uses Enthrill technology with its NetGalley (digital galleys) and Direct2Reader (direct publisher sales) distribution programs. He said the acquisition, “will bring the Enthrill technologies in-house here at Firebrand.”
Cofounded in Calgary, Canada by Franco, Enthrill is probably best known for creating physical giftcards that allowed bookstore consumers to give e-books or bundles of e-books as gifts. Enthrill technology also enables digital distribution for special e-book sales in the B2B marketplace as well as enabling direct publisher sales of e-books and the collection of consumer data.
Franco told PW that the acquisition of Enthrill technology marks the end of Enthrill’s physical store retail operations (which included a partnership with Walmart). Firebrand, he said, will use Enthrill distribution technology to continue to service institutional markets, corporate sales, special sales and bulk sales, “under the Enthrill brand.”
Enthrill “dismantled the retail program earlier in 2016,” Franco said. Although Enthrill’s staff, “were affected” by the dismantling, Franco said that they continue to support the business by working as “consultants and will continue to help with ongoing operations [at Firebrand] as needed.”
