Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

We are providing these guidelines to media relations parties and interested individuals to help you target news releases and pitches that are of interest to Network Computing and to our audience. If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Conry-Murray.

The bulk of Network Computing content is on-line. This includes a quarterly digital issue in magazine format that has its own articles specifically written for that issue. In general, we are interested in technology-focused news and stories that address IT topics such as local area networking, wide area networking, servers, storage, cloud computing, IT management, unified communications, wireless and security. Our target audience is IT professionals from entry level admin to senior level IT and CxO's. The types of articles we write are:

• Blogs: Opinion based posts written by IT analysts, administrators, and others.
• News: In addition to creating our own news content, we are interested in vendor announcements based on product announcements, company directions, and surveys.
• Architecture stories: These describe and define higher level architecture issues relevant to IT. The focus is technology based on how to design IT systems. These articles are typically not product focused, but we may use products as examples or to illustrate a point. We will reach out to vendors if we need input. Of course, if you see a particular topic of interest for a digital edition, feel free to contact us.
• Reviews: Hands-on reviews of products conducted in our partner RealWorld labs. Reviews are competitive and contain a features chart of all the vendor products participating and an Analyst Assessment chart. More details below.
• First Looks: Non-competitive sneak previews of new products or major upgrades to existing products. More details below
• Workshops: Targeted, hands-on articles that that are focused on a particular technology or standards. These may or may not include testing, and we may use products as examples or to illustrate a point. We will reach out to vendors if we need input. Of course, if you see a particular topic of interest for a digital edition, feel free to contact us.
• Vendor Newswire: Posted press releases. We don't edit them except for formatting. We post relevant press releases as Vendor Newswire articles. Like our other content, product announcements, case studies, survey results, quarterly and annual reports are relevant. If the press release is under embargo, be sure to note the date and time clearly. Alternatively, encourage the vendors you represent to setup an RSS feed for their press releases. We use RSS as a source of press releases because it is easy to consume.

We currently don't have a defined editorial calendar for on-line content, which allows us to stay flexible. The 2012 combined editorial calendar for InformationWeek print as well as digital issues for Network Computing, Dark Reading, and Dr Dobbs digital issues is available and updated regularly.

Contacting Editors and Contributors at Network Computing

General queries to the editor can be made to editor@nwc.com.

If you wish to contact a blogger, we'd suggest first asking them if they wish to be contacted or pitched product news.

Network Computing does have a Twitter account @networkcomputin http://twitter.com/networkcomputin. Don't send pitches via Twitter. There is little guarantee that it will be seen. Send queries to editors@nwc.com.

Scheduling Briefings For News

First off, let me say that We honor all NDA's, period. Just tell us the date and time the NDA lifts and baring human error, we won't post the news until after the NDA has lifted. We select press briefings based on how interesting and news worthy we think a pitch will be. Those qualities are difficult to define, but for product news, new products that are unique or contain leading features are going to get priority. Products that are not on commoditized markets (unless the product is doing something game changing) are going to get lower priority. Survey data, if it is relevant, will be a priority.

To schedule a meeting, send an email to editor@nwc.com, or, if you already know a reporter working with NWC, contact them directly. We want three things:

• Advance notice. Pre-briefs several days or weeks in advance are more likely to get on our schedule than same day news.
• Presentation materials and a draft of the release should be sent via email prior to the call. I know some vendors like to run presentations over web meeting software, but having a presentation on hand while writing is useful to us.
• Customer references that are piloting or using the product. What a customer says speaks to our readers more than analysts. Ideally, we want to be able to name names, but we can use an anonymous customer reference. If the customer reference is anonymous, you must tell us that. We prefer to have a one-on-one with the customer without the vendor or media relations person on the phone. We try to limit customer reference interviews to 15 minutes.
• We try to limit press briefings to 30 minutes unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise. The time should be arranged with the person taking the interview. If your vendor wishes to demo the product via web sharing, then briefings can be longer.

Reviews And First Looks

We conduct hands-on reviews and First Looks based on available resources. In some cases, we will do them in conjunction with other TechWeb properties like InformationWeek. Like other Network Computing content, most reviews will be on-line only. Some will be scheduled for the digital issues.

• Reviews are comparative and will be scheduled. Once we develop a test plan, we will send invitations detailing the test plan and the criteria for products.
• First Looks are not comparative, but we will restrict them to new products or major product upgrades.
• We don't need to look at beta products, but we can. Ideally we want to run the review within 30 days of the product being available (though we have some wiggle room on that.)
• Exclusive product reviews will get a higher priority.
• We do not charge for reviews, ever.
• Vendors are responsible for shipping products to and from reviewer sites.