Due to the decline of the number and health of newspapers, many have predicted the demise of the print magazine. Not so. Hectic travel schedules make a print issue a great companion. And many more readers are requesting AW be sent to their homes.
And now the latest innovation—the Apple iPad and other tablets—is reshaping publishing once again. You may have noticed an ad on our front cover this month, an unprecedented move promoting our new free app for reading Automation World on your iPad (an app for the Google Android platform will be out by the end of the year).
New Media Director Dave Newcorn discusses AW reader research on use of tablets in this issue on page 49. Executive summary spoiler alert: Not only do Automation World readers currently own a tablet or are planning to buy one, they are using them in their professional lives.
Perhaps the most fascinating discovery is that different readers have different appetites when it comes to apps, from basic digital editions of the magazine to custom video or live news stream. We are developing two apps initially to meet those needs.
The first one, available now, is the digital edition. Like reading books on a Kindle, now all your issues of Automation World magazine can be with you whenever you have time to read—at home, on the train, or on the treadmill. The next app, AW Real Time, will be available in October to deliver the latest news items and product announcements, as our editors discover them.
We want to bring you information in formats that are useful, convenient and compelling, and we’re happy that Opto 22 chose to help fund the development of this iPad app format.
While we’re very proud of these new apps, this isn’t the end of the story. As with our Automation Applied video series, we continue to work behind the scenes experimenting with what Automation World can do to make your job easier and your day more productive. Expect to see us expand and flourish in this and other formats in the coming months and years.
Bon appetite!
Jim Chrzan is Publisher of Automation World.
