Ringier chooses Purple as technology partner

Ringier selects SPRYLAB Purple DS as technology partner for all BLICK e-papers as well as for the subscription shop for print & digital subscribers

Ringier is now using the Purple DS platform for its digital editions of the titles Blick, SonntagsBlick and Blick am Abend. In addition, SPRYLAB was also commissioned to set up the subscription shop for print and digital subscribers and to provide technical support in the future. Together with its partner A&F Computersysteme, SPRYLAB was able to prevail over competitors on the market. The team impressed both technically and conceptually with the best suggestions for a strong and future-oriented implementation strategy.

As an internationally active and modern media group, Ringier also uses digital products in addition to traditional media. Existing products are being continuously developed. For the digital new edition of all Blick titles, the entire customer journey for app and web was redesigned in a customer-friendly way. A major challenge was the tight time frame between completion of the print edition and prompt playback in the app and on the web. The use of the Purple DS PDF workflow guarantees smooth, fully automated playback of new digital editions and easy enhancement with a mobile-optimized reading mode — right from the start of your morning coffee. A storefront developed specifically for Ringier gives all app and web editions the typical look and feel of Blick.

In addition, a flexible subscription shop was developed that allows customers to purchase both digital and print subscriptions (https://abo.blick.ch). The payment process was completely redesigned and significantly simplified. To do this, an interface from payment provider Datatrans to the in-house ERP system SAP had to be created and all existing users had to be migrated. Since May, the daily editions of Blick und Blick am Abend and the weekly edition of SonntagsBlick have been available in the app stores for Apple and Android.

“We were delighted not only to support Ringier's e-paper projects, but also to play a significant role in shaping them. We are thrilled that one of the highest-circulation newspapers in Switzerland is being produced digitally via Purple DS. Purple DS is already helping a wide range of publishers worldwide publish their content efficiently and in terms of content. For Ringier, a large part of the processes has now been automated so that efficient daily playback is possible on all devices and on the web. This allows readers to access the content from anywhere at any time. The fact that we have also had the opportunity to develop the subscription shop makes us proud and shows our good partnership and quality. ”

York Walterscheid, Director Marketing & Sales at SPRYLAB and Stefan Schärer Head of Sales and Marketing A&F

“We are convinced that in Purple we have found a very competent partner for the relaunch of Blick e-paper products. With Purple DS, we rely on a very powerful production system with which we can also flexibly implement future requirements. The great development expertise and team strength have also prompted us to work with Purple away from the e-paper app. ”

Martin Werren, Technology & Data Project Manager at Ringier AG

‍