Light Reading Gets Unstrung

NEW YORK -- Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the premier information resource for the optical networking industry, today announced that it has acquired all assets of Unstrung Inc., a privately held on-line publisher of news and paid research about the wireless market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "This is the most significant new venture for Light Reading since we founded the company two years ago," said Stephen Saunders, cofounder of Light Reading. "Unstrung's focus on wireless service provider networks, as well as its independent, colorful commentary, strike chords with our content." Under Light Reading's ownership, the Unstrung Website (http://www.unstrung.com) will provide coverage of all layers of the wireless network - from the underlying transport equipment, through wireless middleware, up to the new, revenue-generating wireless applications being deployed by carriers. Light Reading will also expand the editorial focus of the publication. "We're going to increase coverage of Europe and the Asia/Pacific region to make Unstrung into a truly global site," said Peter Heywood, cofounder of Light Reading. "We'll also add more coverage of the financial side of the wireless industry, and we'll ramp up news coverage considerably. In other words, we're going to repeat the formula that's made Light Reading a roaring success." "This is the right moment to launch the equivalent of Light Reading in the wireless world," added Heywood. "New technologies are beginning to be rolled out that could have a dramatic impact on the way everybody communicates. We want to play a role in making this happen, by helping people figure out what's going on." To make all this happen, Light Reading is doubling the size of the Unstrung editorial staff. The first new recruit, Dan Jones, is already on board as Senior Editor. Previously, Jones was Mobile Computing Editor at Computer Wire. Other staff will be joining the publication over the next month. "Over the past year, in a very difficult market environment, we've proven that a Web-based vertical media model can survive and thrive, given a diversified mix of subscription, advertising, and event offerings," said Bill Martin, Publisher and CEO of Unstrung. "I'm proud of what Unstrung has accomplished, and even more excited about the possibilities for the company with Light Reading's expertise and resources now behind it." The acquisition of Unstrung is the second new wireless venture being announced by Light Reading this week. The company also is launching a new paid research service: Wireless Oracle (www.wireless-oracle.com). The first issue, entitled "The Wi-Fi Landscape," to be published tomorrow, focuses on emerging wireless networking standards. Unstrung Editor's Note: Light Reading is not affiliated with Oracle Corporation.