Digital Publishing on iPad? There’s Now an App for That

People are using Apple iPads, Samsung Galaxys, HP Slates and Motorola Xoom tablet PCs for anything and everything. If you can get used to the smaller keys and flat surface for typing, there really are few things you cannot do on a tablet that you normally do on a PC.

Up to now, though, digital publishing has been something that’s been absent from the tablet app stores.

Ever wanted to publish your own Web paper, magazine, book or blog? Now you can do it on an iPad, thanks to iBuildApp. The San Mateo, Calif.-based startup, which also has offices in Moscow and Kiev, a couple of weeks ago added an iPad publishing application to its suite of iPhone templates, which are designed for average, non-geekish users.

If you go to iBuildApp.com, you’ll see what we mean. The name stands true: You can design and update your own publication app using its templates — free of charge. And the distribution can be your own email or social networking lists, for starters.

The company said it takes about 2 to 3 hours to create and publish content using the new app. Users simply copy and paste content into the pre-made templates. The iPad app can be integrated into other CMS (content management system) platforms like WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. It simply requires snippets of code from iBuildApp to be inserted into the CMS code.

iPad publishing has created new revenue streams for businesses that can publish materials without printing and shipping costs.

“We want people to be part of the trend of digital publishing. It’s a great way to build a global audience around your niche without the cost of print,” said iBuildApp founder Rafael Soultanov. “With iBuildApp’s publishing tool, you don’t need a developer.”

How does iBuildApp make money? Easy. As of the end of March, iBuildApp had produced about 2,000 iPhone apps, which is about 0.5 percent of all apps on iTunes. Many small businesses have used iBuildApp to mobilize their business. The publishing apps are a way for potential customers to get familiar with iBuildApp.

Sudden thought: The name of this company reminds me of something the literary and movie hero of the jungle, Tarzan, might say if he were alive today: “Me Tarzan. You Jane. IBuildApp.”