Change is the constant - Software Magazine's new format - Editorial

Software Magazine, Oct, 1997 by Patrick L. Porter

By now you've no doubt noticed that this month's issue of Software Magazine marks a dramatic departure from the past. We have completely redesigned the publication to make it more engaging, more informative and easier to navigate. Our cover art, headlines, and teasers have a new edgy look that makes the magazine more accessible and controversial.

We've also made fundamental changes in our Newsfront and Field Report departments. They include a lively mix of news analysis, infographics, profiles, reviews, and briefs -- all crafted with an eye toward delivering you information that deepens your insight and helps you make better decisions.

We want this to be your magazine. As a person whose career depends on implementing successful IT strategies, you need access to a broad range of business intelligence. More than that, however, you need tools to help you interpret the information you collect. We want to be your trusted advisor, the one who helps you peer through the fog on the battlefield to chart your course For success.

Our mission is to help you achieve a higher return on your IT investments. That's why our news, Features, and columns focus on how information management drives business, and why they're written from your point of view.

In addition, our coverage of information management now takes a more holistic view -- from technology and business outcomes to management and people issues. For example, we have already begun to take a stand on the relationship issues that affect the way IT suppliers and customers interact and determine business outcomes. Our ongoing focus in this area will explore the root causes of dysfunctional relationships and chart a course to building win/win partnerships that deliver outstanding, long-term results.

During the past six months we have held focus groups and roundtables with readers around the country. You have told us that the only way information executives can succeed in their jobs today is to combine business savvy with technical insight. You have told us how you want to read articles that are spirited and controversial, that take a stand and have a point of view. You want to read a publication that has a definite philosophy about business and information management -- one that provides a sophisticated lens through which you can interpret the events and trends shaping the industry. We have heard you loud and clear. And we intend to deliver.

For example, our cover story, "Hackers, Terrorists, and Spies," takes you on an insider's tour of the biggest threats facing information-based businesses today. Whether it's a disgruntled employee, an industrial spy, or an outright hacker, the threat to your information security is real and growing. For the past two months, West Coast Editor Deborah Radcliff has traveled the country, exploring the hacker subculture. She's been attending hacker conventions, hanging out with security experts, and visiting IS shops along the way. Her report is both chilling and informative -- and it's filled with tips and techniques for foiling hacker attacks. It's a must-read for any information manager whose company is doing business on the Web.

We hope you'll agree that this first issue marks a significant improvement to our coverage of information management issues. It's loaded with news, features, and columns that can help you chart a successful information management strategy. Check out Dan Kara's column on IBM's San Francisco project -- Big Blue's roadmap for enterprise Java. And ponder Josh Greenbaum's view on Euro-currency conversion, and why companies are Fooling themselves if they think they have plenty of time to fix the problem. Or read Julekha Dash's feature on Uncle Sam's plans For pushing us all into electronic commerce, whether we like it or not. Each of these articles, and many more in this issue, address information management issues in a way that can help you make better decisions.

A successful magazine is always a work in progress -- evolving to meet the changing needs of its readers. We're committed to keeping in step with you. Let us know how we're doing.