Well, we tried but it looks like Time Inc. has decided to close down Business 2.0 magazine. One of my favorite magazines will be gone after the October issue and I’m not sure what will fill-in the gap. There was something about the portability/usability of a print magazine covering the intersection of Web and business and Fast Company does not work for me. It’s too marketing-oriented and not geeky enough.
One major insight: Business 2.0 in print format mattered to many people. If you look at the some of comments appearing in blogs today, you’ll see that many readers will miss the magazine. For the first time in a long while, the blogosphere is not saying “Print is dead!” (except for the Print is Dead blog…). It’s asking “Why?” In this case, print media is its own worst enemy… If you’ve managed to create a strong brand with opinion leaders, don’t kill it! Embrace online and combine it with print to create a stronger entity.
Seb Provencher's Blog 
I agree, there are few, if any, print resources to fill this gap. However, I wonder how much control Time had in not shuttering Business 2.0. In my line of work, I talk to a lot of tech publishers about the demise of print and, let me tell you, many are closing their print arms kicking and screaming. The bottom line is that advertisers are not buying enough print advertising from tech publishers to sustain their print arms. The buzz and so-called metrics associated with online advertising are so seductive that advertisers are simply reallocating away from print. No advertising = no publication.
I agree, there are few, if any, print resources to fill this gap. However, I wonder how much control Time had in not shuttering Business 2.0. In my line of work, I talk to a lot of tech publishers about the demise of print and, let me tell you, many are closing their print arms kicking and screaming. The bottom line is that advertisers are not buying enough print advertising from tech publishers to sustain their print arms. The buzz and so-called metrics associated with online advertising are so seductive that advertisers are simply reallocating away from print. No advertising = no publication.
I read that many of the staff are being moved into Fortune Magazine – they would be smart to maintain the Business 2.0 brand as a section within Fortune to draw (as well as satisfy) Business 2.0 readers and convert them to Fortune readers. I think that magazine publishers need to come up with a new paradigm for making money that does not rely so much on selling print advertising.
I read that many of the staff are being moved into Fortune Magazine – they would be smart to maintain the Business 2.0 brand as a section within Fortune to draw (as well as satisfy) Business 2.0 readers and convert them to Fortune readers. I think that magazine publishers need to come up with a new paradigm for making money that does not rely so much on selling print advertising.
I wonder: are print tech magazine publishers trying to sustain a pricing structure that is not sustainable as well? I wonder if a penetration strategy (i.e. lower advertising rates) would start attracting a wider range of technology advertisers?
It is too bad to see this publication going away. I wonder if there is a sustainable business opportunity to distribute magazines through software, such as Zinio (I get my monthly copy of MacWorld this way) – where it is exactly like print, complete with advertising and allows you to read on your computer or print on your printer. I think there has to be – the offer for me to get the publication via web as opposed to mail is quite significant, in terms of a lower subscription fee, and I am exposed to the same advertising as print. This has to generate much higher margins for the publisher.