Publisher to end print version of InfoWorld

Technology magazine publisher International Data Group Inc. of Boston is shutting down the print version of InfoWorld magazine, to focus on a Web-based version and on InfoWorld-branded technology conferences.

"The issue that many of you will receive in your physical mailbox next week -- volume 29, issue 14 -- will be the last one in InfoWorld's storied 29-year history," wrote editor Steve Fox on the magazine's weblog.

Bob Carrigan, president of IDG Communications, the business unit that oversees InfoWorld, said InfoWorld had experienced a steady decline in advertising, as more people have begun reading the publication online. "There are still a number of accounts that like to do brand advertising and run print ads, but it's not the business it used to be," Carrigan said. "The advertisers go where the audience is."

InfoWorld is an advertising-supported magazine delivered free to about 180,000 subscribers, mostly corporate technology executives and employees. But the online edition gets 1.2 million visits every month. The site carries advertising and includes a variety of podcasts and blogs, which are also ad-supported. In addition, InfoWorld sponsors a series of real-world events, where technologists meet to exchange information and advice. Both attendees and exhibitors pay fees to participate. Carrigan said revenues from these events and the website have kept InfoWorld profitable, even as revenue from the print edition has declined.

Bob Sacks, president of Precision Media Group, a magazine consultancy in New York, said other IDG publications like ComputerWorld and Network World would likely share InfoWorld's fate. "They see their future on the Web," said Sacks. He added that IDG can abandon print more easily than other publishers, because its technically savvy readers don't mind getting their news from a computer screen. "Their business model, while it may not be right for everybody, is certainly right for them," Sacks said.

But Carrigan said IDG has no plans to eliminate any other print titles. He said while overall print advertising has declined, advertisers are focusing on a smaller number of titles, such as ComputerWorld and Network World. This has kept these magazines profitable, Carrigan said.

Still, he added, "the trends are not good for print . . . we're quickly moving to a place where print is not going to be the predominant revenue stream for us."

Hiawatha Bray can be reached at bray@globe.com.