SERVICE NETWORKS Spring 2002 to Address Keys to the Future of the Service Provider Market; Penton Media Announces the Evolution of the ISPCON, CDN, ASPCON and LAST MILE Events

Business Wire, Dec 13, 2001

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

SERVICE NETWORKS Spring 2002

GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2001

Penton Media (NYSE:PME, www.penton.com) announced plans today to dramatically re-position its industry-leading North American service provider trade shows and conferences: ISPCON, CDN, ASPCON and Last Mile.

The convergence of these events creates a much more comprehensive and relevant offering; SERVICE NETWORKS Spring 2002, which will be held May 21-23 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.

SERVICE NETWORKS builds upon the rich legacy of ISPCON (Internet Service Provider Convention) as the premier "must-attend" gathering of forward-thinking network service technologists and entrepreneurs.

Jon Price, Vice President, Service Provider Events Group, explains the changes, "The market has evolved quite a bit since our formative years in 1992 as BBSCON, becoming ISPCON in 1996 and today as SERVICE NETWORKS. The name has changed through the years, yet our focus remains centered on the business of delivering networked services."

Price continues, "Service providers can no longer rely on delivering pure Internet access as their sole business. Differentiation is key. Offering unique, high-value services must be at the forefront in this new economic landscape."

SERVICE NETWORKS is dedicated to uncovering the infrastructure, technology and business practices which deliver profitable network services to customers. Each segment of the service provider community is represented, whether they exist within independent service providers, enterprises, content and application hosting facilities or telecommunications businesses.

"The decision to consolidate our business operations is aimed at improving and streamlining the offering for our customers. Stardust.com, CDN (Content Delivery Networks Events) and the ISPCON group have a significant overlap of customers and share a vision for the future of Internet services. Merging these powerful organizations builds a more robust set of offerings designed to serve this expanding community with stronger content and a higher degree of relevance," stated Price.

The revitalized conference program is led by Scott Mace and chaired by David Kopf. Mace is the former Editor-in-Chief of Stardust.com and the newly appointed editorial director for the Service Provider Events Group. Kopf is Editor-in-Chief of Boardwatch Magazine and serves as Conference Chair for SERVICE NETWORKS.

The conference will addresses the major areas of focus for the future of the service provider industry in nine conference tracks: Business Operations; Service Provider Congress; Aggregation and Integration; Competition; Data Services Management; Content and Application Strategies; Executive Forums; Last Mile Strategies; and Mobility Services.

Exhibitors at SERVICE NETWORKS are providers of essential products and services for ISPs, ASPs, CLECs, CDNs, long haul carriers and backbones, wireless telecom and cable operators, satellite providers, enterprise, metro and consumer SPs, security, storage and hosting SPs, VARs and systems integration firms.

SERVICE NETWORKS is produced by Penton Media's Service Provider Events Group and will be collocated this spring in Baltimore with two Service Provider Event Group launches: NEXTWARE (www.nextwareexpo.com) and CONNECTED HOME (www.connectedhomeevent.com). For more information about SERVICE NETWORKS Spring 2002 and the SERVICE NETWORKS community, visit www.servicenetworks.com.

Penton Media (NYSE: PME) is a leading, global business-to-business media company that produces market-focused magazines, trade shows and conferences, and Web sites. Penton's integrated media portfolio serves the following industries: Internet/broadband; information technology; electronics; natural products; food/retail; manufacturing; design/engineering; supply chain; aviation; government/compliance; mechanical systems/construction; and leisure/hospitality. For more information, visit www.penton.com.