Onswipe Launching “Insanely Easy” Tablet Publishing Platform

Onswipe Launching “Insanely Easy” Tablet Publishing Platform: "


New York-based startup Onswipe is launching its web-based, app-free publishing platform for tablets late Tuesday.
Onswipe has so far been available as a plugin for self-hosted WordPress installations, and has been powering the default iPad view for WordPress.com blogs since March. The new Onswipe is platform agnostic and is designed to work with multiple content management systems and content networks.
Onswipe’s mission statement is “insanely easy tablet publishing.” In essence, it’s a customizable pre-built platform designed to help publishers create touch-enhanced web experiences without building a native app.
There’s a lot of discussion and debate right now over whether native apps or optimized websites are the best solution for publishers. The Financial Times made waves recently when it announced that it was going to eschew the App Store and make its tablet experience a web-only affair. Apple recently adjusted its subscription guidelines for publishers, but many outlets are still looking for a web-only approach to tablet publishing.


As GigaOm notes, Onswipe’s original plan was to sell its platform to publishers. The company has changed strategies after gaining an additional $5 million in Series A funding, and is offering its service for free, along with revenue sharing agreements with its customers.
TechCrunch reports that Onswipe’s launch partners will include Hearst’s Marie Claire, Slate, Geek.com, PE Hub, Forbes and Hollywood.com.
The idea of a publishing platform targeted at touch-based devices could gain traction. Still, we have reservations — about the technology’s quality and the business model’s viability.
Onswipe wants to build its own advertising network within sites that run on its platform. This could pay off, provided the company can sign on enough big names that can entice advertisers to buy ads en masse. Does that make Onswipe more of an advertising network masquerading as a publishing platform? If so, what impact will that have on publishers?
For the largest publishers — those that would be most attractive to advertisers — the flexibility of the platform is going to be key. Frameworks like the new Pugpig (think PhoneGap for tablets) combine the best of HTML5 and native platform components, and can offer larger publishers more options and flexibility.
Still, we look forward to seeing what Onswipe has to offer — and to seeing its product in action.
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