When Berliner Verlag decided to strategically further develop its platform, the requirements were clear: the transition needed to be fast and reliable – without disrupting ongoing production or putting subscriber access at risk. Berliner Verlag chose Prenly to partner with an established provider offering a continuously evolving product, without triggering a lengthy large-scale IT project.Carrying out a technical platform migration in the middle of day-to-day operations is a challenge. For Berliner Verlag, the goal was to implement the migration “while operations continued” for its titles Berliner Zeitung, Berliner Kurier, and Weltbühne – without losing momentum. At the same time, the groundwork needed to be laid for the launch of the “Ostdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung,” the new nationwide project of Ostdeutsche Medienholding.

The editorial teams needed to maintain their existing workflows, subscribers should be able to keep their login credentials, and all issue content had to be transferred seamlessly – including elements that are not always part of standard CMS data streams.

The solution: Existing workflows in –> a modern app out

Prenly made it possible to work directly with the sources already in place.

• Content from print production, optimized for the app: Using the same technology applied in the sister product Webarch, Prenly was able to structure PDF print data into a format perfectly suited for the article reading mode in the app.
  
  
• The complete issue included: This approach ensured that content often missing from traditional editorial workflows – such as fully laid-out elements or externally produced material – was also included in the digital edition.
  
  
• Flexibility for the future: Berliner Zeitung was able to launch as a productive pilot using its current workflow, while retaining the freedom to later switch to – or complement it with – direct delivery from the CMS via XML/API. The same applies to all other titles within the publishing group.

“Prenly structured the onboarding process extremely well and understood our technical requirements from the very beginning. Adjustments were implemented quickly and pragmatically, and the collaboration between the teams was consistently professional and partnership-driven – even under tight deadlines and across countries and language barriers.” – Berliner Zeitung

How it works

• Subscribers and login: Through the Prenly Remote API, Berliner Zeitung’s developers connected the existing subscription system directly with the app. Accounts and permissions continue to be managed in legacy systems, ensuring a seamless transition for readers without interruption.
  
  
• The publisher controls the content: Using the Prenly Workspace, the newspaper defines the mix within the app – such as e-paper, web news, podcasts, and text-to-speech (via Microsoft Azure) – as well as their order and prioritization.
  
  
• Web and native in one seamless experience: When combining web content with native feeds, the Prenly JS Bridge is used. This makes web views feel like a natural part of the app.

The result

Berliner Zeitung was able to switch platforms in a very short time without having to launch a major internal technology project. It secured its daily publishing operations while simultaneously laying the foundation for a modern app where multiple formats can be brought together and developed further at its own pace.

All additional titles from the publisher are currently being migrated. These migrations are expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2026, highlighting the flexibility of Prenly’s solutions.

Facing a similar migration?

Get in touch with us, and we’ll show you what a transition could look like for your organization.

Visit Berliner Zeitung here