Light Reading
{{Short description|Telecommunications industry news website}}
{{Other uses|light meter|Light novel}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Light Reading
| logo = Light_Reading_logo.svg
| screenshot = Light Reading website screenshot (2024-12-18).webp
| screenshot_alt = Screenshot of Light Reading website showing Featured Story, with Latest News and Commentary sections below it
| caption = Screenshot of the website in December 2024
| url = {{Official URL}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Trade website
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| owner = Informa
| author = Stephen Saunders
| editor =
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Light Reading Inc. is a telecommunications industry information company based in New York City. Its activities include publishing, data analysis, market research, and events management.{{cite web |url=http://www.research-live.com/news/ubm-returns-to-mr-with-light-reading-acquisition/3001193.article |title=UBM returns to MR with Light Reading acquisition |date=18 August 2005 |website=Research-Live.com |access-date=14 March 2012 }}
History
The company was founded in 2000 by Stephen Saunders and was bought by UBM for $33 million in 2005, becoming part of the UBM subsidiary CMP Media.{{cite web |url=http://www.mrweb.com/drno/news4459.htm |title=UBM Buys Light Reading |date=19 August 2005 |website=MrWeb.com |access-date=14 March 2012 }} Saunders remained as CEO and launched Internet Evolution later in 2005.
Light Reading's market research arm, Heavy Reading, bought Pyramid Research in August 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.minonline.com/news/8527.html|title=Light Reading Buys Data Analysis Company |last=Reiter |first=Naomi |date=27 August 2008 |website=MinOnline.com |publisher=Access Intelligence |access-date=14 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030033144/http://www.minonline.com/news/8527.html |archive-date=30 October 2014 }}
Light Reading also had its India publication, Light Reading India. The site had been covering the Indian telecom ecosystem from 2011 till January 2015. It was shut down when UBI India stopped its operations.{{cite web |title = UBM India shuts down its tech media publications: Light Reading, Information Week and others |url = http://www.medianama.com/2015/01/223-ubm-india-light-reading-information-week/ |website = MediaNama |access-date = 2015-12-09 |date = 2015-01-22 }}
In August 2013, Light Reading migrated to UBM's DeusM community platform.Charlotte Woodward, "UBM Tech advances DeusM strategy," [http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130910/MEDIABUSINESS1501/309099991/ubm-tech-advances-deusm-strategy BtoB Online Media Business] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913010614/http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130910/MEDIABUSINESS1501/309099991/ubm-tech-advances-deusm-strategy |date=2013-09-13 }}, September 10, 2013 In February 2014, Stephen Saunders reacquired Light Reading from UBM, with UBM retaining a "significant minority stake" in the company.{{cite web |url=http://www.foliomag.com/2009/stephen-saunders|title=Stephen Saunders - Founder, Light Reading|date=31 March 2009|work=Folio Mag|access-date=14 March 2012}} Future plans for the company were said to include "bulking up the staff and changing up its media pricing"{{cite web |url=http://www.xconomy.com/new-york/2014/02/03/light-reading-co-founder-stephen-saunders-gets-company-back-from-ubm/|title=Light Reading Co-Founder Stephen Saunders Gets Company Back from UBM|date=3 February 2014|work=Xconomy|access-date=28 October 2014}}—according to Saunders, "with much of the overhead that a larger corporate structure imposes now gone, he will apply that savings to expanding staff and infrastructure as well as adjusting customer pricing downward."
In 2016, Light Reading was acquired by Informa.{{cite web |title = Light Reading Beyond |work = Light Reading |access-date = 2016-07-31 |url = http://www.lightreading.com/nfv/nfv-strategies/light-reading-beyond-/a/d-id/725080 }}
Big Telecom Event
In June 2014, Light Reading launched an annual summit for the telecommunications industry, the Big Telecom Event (BTE). The event was held in Chicago, and gathered "important figures in the industry together to discuss progress, problems, and what’s on the horizon as technology continues to develop at a rapid pace.""Focus on Big Data at Big Telecom Event in Chicago" GoGrid June 27, 2014. Unusually, for an industry convention, the event included no exhibitors and no show floor; rather, "BTE provided an 'Innovation Zone' where more than 60 companies gave hands-on demos in turnkey booths."{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Rondon |title=Why One Event Is Doing Away with Exhibitors |url=http://www.foliomag.com/2014/why-one-event-doing-away-exhibitors#.VFfpnWfsrTo |website=FolioMag.com |date=July 25, 2014 }}{{cite web |first=Traci |last=Browne |title=No Exhibit Hall at Light Reading's Big Telecom Event |url=http://www.tsnn.com/news-blogs/no-exhibit-hall-light-reading%E2%80%99s-big-telecom-event |website=TSNN.com |date=April 2014 }}
Awards
Among awards won by Light Reading are:
- 2014 Ava Digital Awards: gold award, business-to-business website category."Light Reading Wins Gold in the Ava Digital Awards" PR Newswire February 20, 2014
- 2014 Hermes Creative Awards: platinum award for infographic work in the Web Element: Other category, and four gold awards.
- 2014 Apex Awards: three awards of excellence in the Technical & Technology Writing, Best Resdesigns, and Identity and Graphic Standards categories."Light Reading Wins 3 APEX Awards of Excellence " PR Newswire June 25, 2014
References
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