I understand what it's like to be the little guy. That's us, SD&I magazine, now in our 32nd year. We used to be known and some still refer to us as Dealer. I bristle slightly when I hear it but realize there's no contempt meant with that reference. We have a very strong following of loyal readers and advertisers-and I thank you all.
I have many struggles similar to yours. I'm a number two in the industry and I'm always looking at the back-end of you know what and guess what? It's always the same view. And that's not the position I want to be in. I dream of the days when SD&I will be the lead dog, and I work tirelessly to achieve this outcome. We want to lead the pack, to help you to dream and achieve.
I know exactly what happens when folks are looking to advertise in trade publications in general. I've been in the publishing industry for many years, lived through the worst recessions they've ever had. They always go to the lead dog, the number one in the industry, based on that number alone it may seem. And because in the security industry we are crowded with publications, it's a tough market and I battle every day for the love of my magazine and for its prosperity with all that in mind.
In publishing or journalism we strive to keep the lines between editorial and advertising from blurring. We at SD&I have achieved that. Sure, we're the little guy swimming in a pool of piranhas, but we are leading the way in content. We don't cross those editorial and sales lines. I don't tell manufacturers or any reader that I won't publish their information if they don't advertise. Because truth be told is that for a real journalist looking to add real value, whether a newspaper, consumer magazine, Internet or trade business-to-business publication like we are, it's all about the value of the content to readership. I don't particularly think about or give a rat's behind whether or not you advertise (sure don't get me wrong, everyone should be in my book, it's just not my gig) but my mission is to deliver the content that will help my readers, systems integrators and value-added resellers, obtain success and become the indispensible solutions providers they need to be. But I've heard quite the contrary recently-that those lines have been crossed elsewhere. That some trade publications tell firms that come to them for publicity that they just won't get any press until they spend some ad bucks. When that happens, that's not true-blue journalism anymore. The lines have been crossed and as a trained journalist, credibility-the barometer of journalism-is surely lost.
As integrators, you may be the number two or three guy or further down the chain in your market and I know it's so competitive out there. But you have to find your niche, learn as much as you can and try to keep up with technologies. Find a vertical market or several and stick with them and learn all you can about the pain points for the end-users so you can address their challenges. Just like the enterprise vertical market, showcased on page 22. They have their challenges and it's up to you to know what they are. With bandwidth being a major issue moving forward in video recording, check out the State of Storage, page 40. Dr. Bob Banerjee, NICE Systems, discusses analog migration, page 36, and Imperial Capital's Jeff Kessler tells readers that 2010 may be the turning point to a better 2011, page 50. For video management and enterprise systems products, see the special showcase, page 20. Check out the table of contents to see all you want to know about.
The Internet has changed everything for everyone. SD&I can't be and isn't the publication it was 32 years ago...wouldn't and couldn't work. But we've made the charge to lead the way, and that means I'm just like you-trying to add value to everything I do and that's published within the pages you hold in your hands or view via your browser. Do me a favor. Take a real look at the message and content that's being delivered, in every publication you read and especially in the ones you advertise in or even sponsor.
