NEW YORK -- Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the market-leading online community for the global communications sector, has strengthened its editorial team with the hire of experienced and respected technology journalist Mitch Wagner, who joins immediately as West Coast Bureau Chief.

Wagner, whose previous positions include Editor-in-Chief at Internet Evolution and Executive Editor at InformationWeek, will be responsible for tracking and reporting on developments in Silicon Valley and other US West Coast hotspots of communications technology innovation. He will be particularly focused on developments related to software-defined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV), and IP networking.

"Adding Mitch to the team is a massive coup for us. This is going to have a real impact on our ability to dig out the real stories and identify the next big thing coming out of the Valley," stated Light Reading Editor-in-Chief Ray Le Maistre. "Mitch not only has all the credentials we look for in an editor -- smart, informed, witty, a good writer, and slightly unhinged -- but his knowledge of IT trends will be invaluable as the communications networking and services sector becomes ever more reliant on IT skills and know-how to innovate."

Le Maistre added: "We've also never had a 'Mitch' on the team. I like that name -- it's zesty."

"Dudes, I'm here to break news and keep the Light Reading community informed about what's really going on with the startups and established companies on the West Coast," said Wagner. "I'm super-excited to join the great team at Light Reading."

Wagner says things like "dude" and "super-excited" because he is a Californian. Light Reading will break him of that habit directly. Wagner's hiring is part of the immediate expansion of Light Reading, following a management buyout from its previous owner UBM, announced yesterday, Monday, February 3.

Wagner is based in San Diego and may be reached at [email protected].

Light Reading