Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced the formation of a strategic partnership in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which will build upon the history of strong innovation in digital reading technologies from both companies. The partnership will accelerate the transition to e-reading, which is revolutionizing the way people consume, create, share and enjoy digital content.

The new subsidiary, referred to as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. One of the first benefits for customers will be a NOOK application for Windows 8, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-Books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally. 

The inclusion of Barnes & Noble’s College business is an important component of Newco’s strategic vision. Through the newly formed Newco, Barnes & Noble’s industry leading NOOK Study software will provide students and educators the preeminent technology platform for the distribution and management of digital education materials in the market.

 There has been some interesting feedback in the blogosphere since the announcement. Paul Biba at TeleRead believes the move is about more than just eBooks. He speculates an end-user content experience that could rival Apple and keep Barnes & Noble one step ahead of Amazon.

• Paid Content outlines the B&N-Microsoft partnership.
• Mediashift’s Jenny Shank explores the Role of Libraries in the Age of E-Books and Digital Information.
• The New York Times Summer Reading Contest lures students into reading nonfiction. 

A simple solution for an age-old problem.