Fairfax Media has launched The Sydney Morning Herald smart edition app for the iPad, an innovation in publishing the company says will bring “a new dimension to newspaper consumption for both readers and advertisers”.

The smart edition app, which includes a raft of reader-friendly features, allows readers to view The Sydney Morning Herald in full on the Apple iPad.
Fairfax Media Chief Executive and Managing Director, Brian McCarthy, said “This is an exciting new era in publishing, and this app, with others that follow, will clearly demonstrate that Fairfax is at the forefront of innovation.

“Our great content is at the core of the applications we are developing. Whatever platform or delivery mechanism we utilise, Fairfax is about connecting audiences with our content.”
The Sydney Morning Herald electronic edition app will include all editorial, sections and advertisements of the printed newspaper and replicates the printed newspaper experience – allowing readers to flip through pages just as they do with the print edition.

Features unique to the electronic edition include easy zooming in and out, scrolling, clicking on a story to read in text form only if preferred, and click-on headlines to highlight individual stories.
Readers can search for topics, people, keywords and back copies, as well as share articles with friends and colleagues, and comment on stories.
Mr McCarthy said Fairfax Media is developing more than 40 apps.

“Teams across our print and digital divisions are working together to develop a range of apps for news media, classifieds and our transaction businesses,” Mr McCarthy said. “As penetration of the iPad and other tablets increases in the market, Fairfax will be well positioned to leverage our great brands and content through this exciting new technology.”

Subscribers to the Herald's annual seven-day print subscription can access the app free of charge. Weekend print subscribers can access the app by upgrading to a new “Weekender” package, which costs AUD$205 per annum and includes three days of newspaper delivery each week. Subscribers simply register through the iPad app to access the electronic edition.

New customers in New South Wales and ACT can access the app by purchasing a Weekender subscription, which includes three days of newspaper home delivery over the weekend and seven days of Smart Edition access. The weekender subscription is priced at $205 upfront for one year, or $18 every four weeks through automated direct debit payments.

New customers in states other than New South Wales and ACT can purchase a subscription to the electronic edition for the same prices: $205 upfront for one year, or $18 every four weeks.
The international electronic edition can be purchased outside Australia for AUD$52 per annum.

Telstra will be the The Sydney Morning Herald smart edition iPad app's exclusive sponsor for two months and Telstra's acting Executive Director of Marketing Communications, Chantal Walker, welcomed the involvement.

“Thousands of our customers are already using an iPad on the Telstra Next G network, and we're delighted to be involved with this latest local app that blends the familiarity of print-layout with live and interactive content,” Ms Walker said. “We will be using the platform to promote the Telstra Next G™ network which is the perfect partner for this application, giving customers a faster experience in more places.”