By Katherine NoyesNewsweek has figured prominently in the news these past few weeks for the recent rebirth of its print format, but on Wednesday the company made another significant announcement: The iconic magazine will relaunch its subscription platform this month using paywall technology from Slovakia-based Piano Media.Newsweek was acquired last year by IBT Media, following a botched digital transition and declining subscriptions. Now, in the wake of all that, the publication is implementing the Piano Lite system and outsourcing all aspects of its subscription system to Piano except for call center end-user support. The Piano system will manage both print+digital and digital-only subscription packages while Newsweek manages fulfillment for the print magazine.”Newsweek chose Piano’s metered solution because of its reliable technology for identity management and user experience,” said Etienne Uzac, CEO of IBT Media. “Even if users delete cookies or surf in private mode, the articles they read will still be counted against the monthly meter limit, while a unified login provides seamless access across platforms.”Some may consider Piano a surprising choice given the ubiquity of Press+ among U.S. digital subscription sites. And indeed, Piano has focused primarily on the European market — the deal with Newsweek represents the company’s U.S. debut. “Becoming the digital and print subscription software provider for Newsweek in the U.S. is a big win for us,” admitted Peter Richards, Piano’s international operations director. “We are excited to have our first customer outside Europe and we expect that both parties will learn significantly from each other.”There’s no doubt it’s an intriguing partnership and a promising North American beginning for Piano. We’ll be watching closely to see where it leads.