Following recent Apple App Store policy changes imposed by Apple, Kobo (http://www.kobo.com), which specializes in eReading, says development is underway on an HTML5 eReading web app.  

Kobo is dedicated to an open-platform experience and believes that consumers "should have the freedom to read on any device, at anytime, anyplace in the world," says CEO Michael Serbinis. With the new HTML5 web app, Kobo remains committed to open solutions and extends eReading capabilities to a platform that can be quickly enhanced and updated with the latest eReading features and functionality, he adds.

Kobo's HTML5 app will not replace the company's existing apps, but extend its read-across-any-device strategy to reach a broader set of users and add additional value for their current customer base. Serbinis says that, over the past weeks, Kobo has worked with Apple to create a solution that would benefit the iOS eReading community within Apple's new App Store guidelines.  

Unfortunately, Apple has mandated that Kobo, along with all eBook retailers, substantially change the eReading experience for consumers by removing in-app access to the Kobo store, he adds. Even after modification, Kobo users can continue to use the Kobo app to read existing books in their library, purchase new books at the Kobo web site using any popular web browser and shop from Kobo's selection of over 2.4 million eBooks. Any books purchased on Kobo.com are automatically updated in the iPhone or iPad Kobo app.

This change doesn't affect Kobo's other free eReading apps, all of which retain the integrated eReading and in-app Kobo Store access, says Michael Serbinis. Kobo's move to provide an HTML5 web app will offer additional convenience to consumers and "deliver a rich and seamless experience to Kobo app users across platforms, including Android, RIM and HP WebOS," he adds.