Two of Australia’s high profile IT and telecommunications online news and information publications have merged to form iTWire. (www.itwire.com.au).

The BeerFiles and ExchangeAlert have announced the merger in a deal which significantly expands their coverage of the Australian information technology and telecommunications sectors.

iTWire has been formed by the founding partners of the BeerFiles, Stan Beer (editor) and Peter Dinham (publisher); Stuart Corner, the founder and editor of ExchangeAlert; and, Paul Hosking, the founder of  Mailcaster and the Electric Communication Company, a successful web developer, designer and technology consultant.

Stan Beer is the Melbourne Editor and Stuart Corner the Sydney Editor of iTWire. 

The BeerFiles was launched in October 2004 and just seven months later BeerFiles achieved market recognition when the website was nominated as a finalist in the best technology media website category of the Sun Microsystems IT journalism awards.  The BeerFiles ICT industry update daily newsletter is read each day by information technology senior executives, managers, professionals and users in the private and public sectors.

ExchangeAlert was launched in February 2005 as an email-delivered daily telecoms news summary to complement Exchange, Stuart Corner’s long-established and highly regarded weekly subscription newsletter providing in-depth reporting and commentary on telecoms developments. The Exchange will continue to be published separately from iTWire by Stuart through his company, 3rd Wave Communication.

The daily ITWire Update newsletter will incorporate the BeerFiles and ExchangeAlert newsletters and deliver the latest news from both the IT and telecommunications sectors.  It will provide concise, relevant and easy to read reports covering the latest news, market commentary and analysis.

The BeerFiles comprehensive coverage of the IT industry will continue within iTWire and includes the major market segments, with news on what the major vendors are doing, mergers and acquisitions, major contract signings and developments with listed technology companies. ExchangeAlert is the telecommunications section of iTWire.  It will continue to provide concise daily, informed summaries of the most important local and international telecommunications developments.

Stan Beer will continue his hard hitting, informed commentary, opinion and analysis which have been a hallmark of the BeerFiles. Stuart Corner will offer a wider IT audience insights and commentary based on his long experience and deep understanding of the telecommunications industry.

The iTWire news and information website (www.itwire.com.au) will provide comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of all segments of the IT and telecommunications marketplace.

iTWire will also bring readers reviews of the latest in consumer technology products and services with Alex Zaharov-Reutt, the technology reviewer on Channel 9’s Today Show and a regular contributor to ABC technology programs. One of Australia’s foremost technology evangelists and media commentators, Alex has been writing for the BeerFiles since the website launch last year.

In addition, regular webcasts on the iTWire website will feature interviews with influential industry leaders and panel discussions on some of the key developments and issues in the technology sector.

The principals of iTWire - Stan Beer, Peter Dinham, Stuart Corner and Paul Hosking - bring a strong blend of experience and knowledge of the information and communications technology sector and media industries.

Prior to establishing the BeerFiles with Peter Dinham, Stan Beer enjoyed a long and successful career as a full-time business/financial and technology journalist before entering the communication and investor relations consulting industry.

Stan has previously worked on the staff and has been a freelance contributor to a number of publications, including The Australian Financial Review, The Australian and Business Review Weekly, and currently writes a weekly technology column, “Chat Room”, for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He also writes a weekly accounting column, “MyCareer Accounting”, which also appears in both Fairfax publications.  Prior to embarking on his media career, Stan worked in the IT industry, including a stint as media relations officer at Hewlett-Packard Australia and headed an IT public relations consultancy called Image Makers. A graduate in computer science, Stan also worked as an IT professional in the early stages of his career.

Stuart Corner draws on a vast array of resources and his 20 years experience as an observer and commentator on the telecommunications industry to sort out the wheat from the chaff and give readers the essential information needed to stay on top of this fast moving industry. Stuart has been reporting, analysing and commenting on telecommunications in Australia and the Asia-Pacific for 20 years and is the founder and managing director of 3rd Wave Communication.

Peter Dinham, publisher of iTWire, is a communication adviser with more than 20-years experience in the corporate, marketing communication and public relations industry. Prior to entering the communication business he was a journalist for 15 years with The Canberra Times, AAP-Reuters and the ABC, in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Launceston. 

Peter was Managing Director (Victoria) and a Senior Vice President of Burson-Marsteller, one of the world’s largest PR and communication agencies, and had previously worked in public relations for an Australian domestic airline. He also established an editorial agency, the Talentbank, to service Australian and overseas magazines and newspapers and later set up the Australian arm of the global photographic and creative resource, the Image Bank (now Getty Images).

Paul Hosking founded his web development company, the Electric Communication Company, in 1999. Paul’s experience spans a broad range of web technologies from e-newsletters to portal development. He is the principal developer of the MailCaster bulk email suite.

Paul was formerly a lecturer in Media Arts at the University of Melbourne and has produced a top 10 music video and educational CD-ROMS for the Australian Childrens’ Television Foundation. Paul developed and designed the original BeerFiles website and websites for Lifeglo, the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychologists in Training, e-Wise. He was a specialist web consultant to solutions provider Synergy.

For further information, contact:

Peter Dinham
iTWire
T: 0412 274 091
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Media releases/information
Stan Beer
T: 0418 516 720
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