Generally, I don't like talking about the magazine in these columns. However, I suppose the new look and some of the other changes inside the publication warrant at least some comment.
I'll skip a blow-by-blow description of the redesign-you can see it for yourself. But let me tell you about our two new sections, "Business Intelligence" and "Technology and Profits." Our carrier readers may recognize these sections from our Fiber Exchange supplement. Fiber Exchange covered the business of developing optical capacity, whether that meant building new optical networks or leasing, buying, or trading existing infrastructure. This bimonthly supplement examined market and pricing trends and the economic tradeoffs presented when comparing one optical technology to another. Fiber Exchange developed a significant fan base, and we liked the idea of a business-analysis approach to optical communications so much that we decided to pull the supplement into Lightwave.
Thus, each month our "Business Intelligence" section will look at trends and issues within the optical communications industry. For example, this month we look at "Bandwidth as a commodity." While this theme derives directly from the carrier-only perspective of Fiber Exchange, future themes will expand our business coverage to include issues of interest to component, subsystem, and system developers, as well, including such topics as "Outsourcing requirements" and "Keeping supply lines open."
Similarly, "Technology and Profits" will address the application of technology from this same business perspective. This month, we examine "Responses to component shortages"; future months will feature such topics as "Evaluating metro class equipment" and "The changing role of software."
While our decision to include these new sections in the magazine means we will no longer publish Fiber Exchange as a separate supplement, we think all our readers will benefit from having this new perspective within the pages of Lightwave. Of course, while the rest of the magazine looks different, you'll still find the same combination of news, features, and analysis that you've come to expect from us. We welcome your comments and your suggestions concerning our new look.
Speaking of new looks, our Website looks much sharper these days, thanks in large part to our new Web editor, Mardi Scalise. You can now find fresh news and features on the site every day, in addition to the online posting of the current issue that formerly composed most of the site's content. We've also redesigned the site to make it easier to locate information about the magazine (such as our editorial calendar) and about the industry as a whole. Expect to see Mardi at a few trade shows in the coming year. In the meantime, you can contact her at (603) 891-9248 or [email protected]. Of course, you can check out her handiwork at www.light-wave.com.Stephen M. Hardy
Editorial Director and
Associate Publisher
[email protected]