I’ve been in more than one conversation with publishers at this year’s UKSG conference concerning investment in online projects during the current challenging financial situation. And although I can’t name any names, the views expressed on this subject have certainly been interesting. The consensus seems to be, perhaps surprisingly, that now is the best time to invest in online publishing.
A typical publishing project lifecycle involves budgeting, business case, board approval — then supplier selection, design, build, test and go-live. This process can all take a considerable amount of time; a medium-sized project duration could easily be twelve months or longer from initial concept through to final delivery.
Once the economy does start to recover from the crunch, forward-thinking publishers will want to have positioned themselves advantageously for the upturn. And the best place to be will be having new products ready for the market, allowing nimble publishers to gain competitive advantage by filling the gaps where slower, more defensive companies have mothballed or cancelled operations.
Food for thought for those willing to take a medium-term view in order to gain advantage.
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Richard Padley
Managing Director,
Semantico