Keeping Safari Books on top

Keeping Safari Books on top

Andrew Savikas on how Safari Books is evolving to meet customers' needs.

by Joe Wikert | @jwikert | +Joe Wikert | Comment | 28 November 2011

This post is part of the TOC podcast series, which we'll be featuring here on Radar in the coming months. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.

Andrew Savikas (@andrewsavikas) is one of the brightest minds in the content industry. His extensive work on O'Reilly's production toolchain as well as having been chair of the Tools of Change conference will serve him well in his new role as Safari Books Online CEO. Safari was built before the influx of mobile devices affected our industry, but Andrew is making sure the service evolves with the needs of its customers. As Safari celebrates its 10th anniversary, Andrew talks in this podcast interview about what lies ahead and how Safari will remain on top.

Key points from the full video interview (below) include:

Mobile devices have had a significant impact on Safari — It's not just about iPads and mobile phones, though. A good deal of Safari content is also consumed via eInk devices like Kindles and Nooks. [Discussed at the 0:49 mark.]
iPad usage patterns differ from desktop patterns — Length of session and use at different times of the day distinguish the typical iPad-based Safari user from the desktop user. Deeper content dives happen via the iPad app as well. [Discussed at 2:06.]
The iPad app drives more Safari usage — Subscribers aren't substituting desktop access for iPad app access. The numbers indicate subscribers are accessing Safari more when they utilize the iPad app. [Discussed at 3:49.]
Video has rapidly become an important component of the Safari experience — And it's particularly attractive to iPad app users. [Discussed at 5:57.]

You can view the entire interview in the following video.

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