New dawn for CRN

The re-imagining of the brand under its fresh editorial team positions it to be the premium source of information for channel partners craving insights on how to pump profits and better manage their businesses. 

-       CRN magazine becomes a monthly publication to focus on the business and technology issues facing Australia's IT resellers. This will involve an expansion of the CRN brand to include not only channel insight and technology analysis, but also strategic information resellers can use to better run their business. It moves to a newsstand-style, "perfect-bound" format planned to be at least a hefty 84 pages.

-       CRN Tech is a new monthly digital e-book to satisfy demand for information on the latest products, software and services relevant to our readers' businesses. It has cutting-edge interactivity that readers love and that aids advertisers through the use of devices such as embedded video, dynamic web links, tracking reader interest and customised covers with "skins" or visual overlays.

-       techpartner.news, the premier online destination for Australian channel news, reaction and analysis is to be redesigned and relaunched to include a mobile edition in May, incorporating social networking and exclusive video on CRN-TV.

CRN publishing director Andy Jackson said the bold move was informed through research that showed the internet had become the prime vehicle for news, allowing the print version to become a trusted companion as it moves to become a vital tool for resellers to help them steer their businesses.

"The internet makes weekly and fortnightly print magazines redundant as news breaking vehicles," Jackson said. "A monthly magazine provides greater editorial depth in these challenging times, leaving techpartner.news as the essential news service for the Australian channel.

"To satisfy the No. 1 demand for product-related content highlighted in our reader survey, we're launching CRN Tech in an e-book format. It's an innovative way to deliver content that reaches many more readers in an environmentally-friendly manner delivering advertisers an exciting, cost-effective route to market that is measurable and transparent."

 CRN editor-in-chief Nate Cochrane said editorial quality will be amplified by the new products and sharpening of the brand portfolio.

"These innovations stamp Haymarket as Australia's only full-service provider of channel news," Cochrane said.

"We listened to our audiences and delivered what they wanted. The print edition cuts through the complex and turbulent operating environment while the interactivity of CRN Tech and immediacy of techpartner.news gives us great flexibility in how we present stories. Readers benefit from the knowledgeable editorial and advertisers will have a clearer notion of buying intentions.

"Add in our social media strategy and CRN-TV and you have the most compelling portfolio of insights for our audiences to wring every last drop of revenue from the market."

"The new CRN will combine the best writers on local channel news with the global expertise on offer from Haymarket Media's stable of business and IT magazines, and its special relationship with CRN US. This is the most effective, most efficient and most enjoyable way to learn about what's happening in the channel and how to make money in IT," CRN editor Sholto Macpherson said.

Claire Wallbank, group advertising manager on CRN outlined the benefits for advertisers, "The new CRN portfolio delivers advertisers a new and exciting, cost effective and targeted route to market that is both measurable and transparent. In the current economic climate there is an increasing demand from channel marketers and product managers for all marketing to deliver a tangible return on investment. This new portfolio offers a completely integrated solution for advertisers."

CRN's debut as a monthly will be distributed on May 4; the last fortnightly issue is April 13. CRN Tech will launch in the second week of May in conjunction with the refreshed website and interactive features.

Media Contact
Nate Cochrane, Editor in Chief CRN, CRN Tech, techpartner.news, CRN-TV. Phone 02 8399 3611 or email ncochrane@haymarketmedia.com.au