Fifteen Years Of Serving The Channel
In May 1990, the first Business Electronics Dealer published by Corry Publishing was mailed to its subscribers. Over the next 15 years, that magazine would evolve into today's Business Solutions magazine. At first glance, Business Electronics Dealer and Business Solutions have little in common, especially when comparing the technologies covered in each. Business Electronics Dealer was filled with articles about office products, such as copiers and fax machines. Business Solutions' content is focused on supply chain, content management, storage, security, wireless, point of sale, and networking technologies. But there is a key similarity: both magazines have helped dealers, resellers, VARs -- whatever term you use -- sell more. Even in that 64-page first issue we stated, "Business Electronics Dealer uses a 'Profiles' editorial format. It is written to help dealers improve their sales, increase their profits, and better manage their business; not by preaching at them, but by profiling how their peers are accomplishing their largest business goals." Our current mission statement is very similar.
Another similarity is that both magazines include articles about multiple technologies and vertical markets. For example, in Business Electronics Dealer, you didn't get just the perspective of copier resellers in the manufacturing industry. Instead, you learned about complementary products, such as time and attendance terminals you could sell to customers buying copiers in any industry. The technologies are different in Business Solutions, but the concept is still the same. After all, a point of sale reseller can learn from a bar code VAR. A content management integrator can sell mass storage products, too. What if you wanted to break into a new market like healthcare? You could learn something from a VAR with healthcare experience even if that VAR sold a different technology than you.
And finally, the covers of these two magazines have always had one common element: photos of VARs, integrators, and software developers. Never have you seen vendors or end users prominently featured on our covers. True, we do interview vendors and distributors for technology trends articles, but that content is aimed at providing actionable information for the channel.
A New Look With The Same Channel Focus
Understandably, there have been a number of changes to our magazine during the past 15 years. Most notably, our name transitioned from Business Electronics Dealer to Business Machine Dealer, to Business Systems Dealer, to Business Systems Magazine, to Business Solutions. And this year you'll see more changes. The layout of Business Solutions will be redesigned to give it a more updated look. Our Web site (www.bsminfo.com) will also be revamped and will offer readers a single source of useful content for any of the primary technologies covered in Business Solutions. A sample of this concept can be seen now by visiting our RFID (radio frequency identification) Resource Center Web page at www.bsminfo.com/RFID.
Our dedication to the channel, though, will not change. We will continue to feature the faces of successful VARs, integrators, and software developers on our covers, and our content will continue to be designed to provide you with actionable information. Whether you're a long-time subscriber or new to our magazine, I'd like your opinions about Business Solutions. Send me an e-mail or call me at (814) 868-9935, ext. 284. It's with input from you that Business Solutions will continue to live up to its tagline of "Helping VARs and integrators increase profits by integrating complementary technologies."