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The first issue of IT Wireless is due to hit newsstands in November, and with wireless networking gaining more attention in the enterprise marketplace, the magazine is sure to
garner some buzz. "The audience is IT and network managers who are either contemplating or implementing wireless technology in medium to large enterprises," says Editorial
Director Galen Gruman. The first issue will reach 25,000 IT execs. This magazine, which is scheduled to appear every two months, is meant for the nuts-and-bolts crowd. It's aimed
at network managers and network directors rather than the CIOs. The content is less about the strategic business case for wireless, and more about the "how to."
Content/Contacts
Gruman is the main editorial contact, and he knows what he wants. "We are looking to do how-to pieces, for example to explain the issues of security in wireless networks, to
talk about possible problem areas and how to address them. Another example would be wireless-data phones: How you can use them, how you tie them into your internal email servers
and so forth."
He'll look at product announcements, but case studies are even better. Gruman wants to show readers how to take advantage of various wireless technologies in real-world
situations, so he wants to hear from companies with actual customers.
Contact Gruman at [email protected].
Pitch Tips
"I prefer email, especially for product announcements, because I cannot respond by phone to those. They either fit or they don't," says Gruman. Plus, it makes farming out work
to the freelancers that much easier.
Beyond that, keep the pitch clean and simple.
"Short and direct is best," says Gruman. "Typically the ones that get a call back are the ones who tell me in the first few sentences what they have to offer me and what it
means to my readers. Too many pitches focus on the company's message and make no mention of our readers and how this pitch applies to their interests."
Comments
"When we came up with this publication, we did it because we saw that this was a rapidly changing technology. Wireless as a broad umbrella tackles different needs within an
organization. It is not monolithic, and it is changing," Gruman explains. "That means they need to stay educated about this at least for the next few years."
By the same token, the last thing he wants to see is hype. Companies see potential ROI in wireless, but they're still cautious. "We see this as a 'wild west' kind of area, and
so we see a real opportunity to educate. If the PR folks will take that same approach - 'Let's educate this market, let's show them the returns' - they will have a far better
chance of reaching that market."
In The Pipeline
Gruman is looking for pitches eight to 10 weeks in advance of the issue date, though product announcements can roll in a bit later.
The first issue will present a "roadmap" showing how wireless technologies can fit into the existing corporate IT infrastructure. For the January issue, Gruman says he plans to
focus on security tips and tools, as well as all-in-one wireless devices. For the March/April issue, the tentative editorial plan is to explore the issue of whether wireless-data
networks are at this point sufficient to transmit enterprise data.