EL,
Looks like VARBusiness Magazine is pushing white boxes this year. Gave Compaq honorable mention in it's press release.
NW
VARBusiness Enhancements to Reflect New Services Emphasis and Reconfiguration of the PC Industry; Restructured Sections, Increased Frequency Set for 1999
MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 1998--CMP Media's VARBusiness Magazine has announced that it will launch several new sections and increase its frequency as part of a series of enhancements for 1999 to further align its editorial content with significant new trends in the computer industry and the channel.
A key trend affecting the value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators and IT consultants who read VARBusiness is the emphasis on services. VARBusiness Editor Mark Kindley said, "our own 'State of the VAR Market' research shows that 43 percent of a typical reseller's profits now come from services and consulting and that nearly half of all VARs plan to focus more on services in 1999."
As part of its planned enhancement for 1999, VARBusiness will launch a new section called "Services and Consulting" designed to meet the needs of VARs and service-oriented integrators. The section draws upon the resources of G2R Inc., the market research and consulting firm, to present resellers with different approaches to building customer relationships for the consultative process.
The shift toward services is further supported by the market research firm Dataquest, which projects U.S. revenue for IT professional services to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 17 percent to nearly $218 billion in 2002, compared with $95 billion last year.
White-Box Computers
Another trend affecting VARBusiness readers, the increased importance of unbranded personal computers or "white boxes," is spawning a new, dedicated section as an outgrowth of reader demand for component information. It will focus on system builders, distributors that assemble white-box systems and vendors that are supplying components to resellers.
Channel Information Services research shows that among small businesses, white-box systems from resellers outsell branded computers like Compaq. Increasingly, the phenomenon also is entering the large enterprise end-user marketplace.
The new "White Box" section in VARBusiness will help white-box VARs continue to compete in the PC industry by providing them with timely information on effective component sourcing; virtual warehousing; and other techniques that they can use to increase manufacturing efficiencies. White-box VARs have succeeded because of their closer relationship to their customers. The VARBusiness section will help them enhance this key relationship.
Frequency Increase
In addition, VARBusiness will increase its frequency to 32 issues per year from the current 26 to permit stand-alone publication of six franchise issues like the benchmark annual "State of the VAR Market" study, previously included in the biweekly magazine's regular issues.
"Our ongoing research indicates that readers depend on both the regular timely issues coverage and special issues to guide their business and technology strategies," said Publisher Robert C. DeMarzo. "In the past, some regular editorial sections were eliminated to accommodate the special reports. Now, by publishing dedicated special issues, complete coverage is maintained without any gaps."
The six special issues that will publish in weeks without regular issues are: VAR Program Guide, April 19; Distribution 100, May 17; VARBusiness 500, June 14; Annual Peripherals Excellence Awards, September 20; Annual Report Card, October 18; and State of the VAR Market, December 13.
About VARBusiness
The leading magazine for the value-added channel, VARBusiness goes behind the headlines to provide in-depth market intelligence and perspective about the business trends, product and technology issues, and supplier activities impacting value-added resellers (VARs). VARBusiness provides a unique blend of information to help VARs manage and grow their businesses and provide better solutions to their customers. Its Web site is at varbusiness.com.
CMP Media Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPX) is the leading high-tech media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum--the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. With its portfolio of newspapers, magazines, custom publishing, Internet products, research, consulting and conferences, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Online editions of the company's print publications, along with products and services created exclusively for the Internet, can be found on CMPnet at cmpnet.com. NSTL, the company's independent testing lab and consulting organization, serves government, corporate and technology vendor clients around the world.
CONTACT:
Barry J. Zusman
(516) 562-7040
bzusman@cmp.com
or
Steve Rubel
(516) 562-7434 |
