Deutsche Telekom is selling its Tolino e-reader platform technology to Canadian e-reader platform operator Rakuten Kobo per 31 January. The German booksellers that launched the Tolino platform with Deutsche Telekom said they welcome the new technology partner, and with the transfer, two of the largest e-reading platforms in the world join forces. No financial details were disclosed, and the transaction still needs approval from the German federal cartel office.
Tolino was launched in March 2013 by Deutsche Telekom and the German booksellers Hugendubel, Thalia and Weltbild.
When the transaction is approved and completed, nothing will change for existing Tolino users, and the Tolino brand will continue to exist in German-speaking countries. This means that the service will continue to include free access to Telekom Hotspots, the Tolino app and Tolino cloud services as well as access to other booksellers including Osiander, Mayersche Buchhandlung and the more than 1,500 bookstores that participate in Tolino via the libri assortment.
