Beer West magazine has selected Digimarc Discover platform in its newly released winter edition to offer a variety of rich media experiences to its readers on their smartphones.

Digimarc Discover is a reference platform and application that instantly satisfies the customer’s need for information, entertainment or assistance related to the content they are most interested in.

Digimarc Discover platform uses content identification technologies as needed. This includes the company’s patented digital watermarking technology. Imperceptible to human senses, but quickly detected by computers, networks or other digital devices like smartphones, Digital watermarks are easily embedded into all forms of media. A watermarking solution does not require publishers to give up valuable space in magazines and newspapers unlike barcodes and tags.

“We are excited to work with Beer West to introduce the Digimarc Discover platform to the US publishing market,” commented Jeri Owen, Vice President of Marketing at Digimarc. “Digimarc Discover effectively transforms newspapers, magazines, and other printed materials into web browsers, providing instant access to the information, assistance and entertainment readers want. Like Beer West, publishers can now create reader loyalty and attract younger audiences with the ability to interact with the content.”

Following the success of publishers in Europe, Beer West is among the first U.S. magazines to use the Digimarc Discover platform. Beer West is distributed quarterly and is available by subscription, or from newsstand locations in California, Oregon and Washington. The company selected Digimarc Discover because apart from impacting page layouts or design in the way that 2D barcodes or QR codes would have, it also provides a superior user experience, the company has stated.

In April 2010, the company licensed its mobile technology to Hong Kong-based Winkcode Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of AWT (News - Alert)-System Limited, and a software developer and system integrator. With this, Winkcode joins aquaMobile in Spain as Digimarc's second licensee of its mobile technology. As per the terms of this agreement, Winkcode will deliver new Digimarc-enabled solutions that connect consumers to the web, the company stated in a press release.

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