Under New Management

In case you haven’t heard, Billing World and OSS Today magazine is under new management. The publication along with its trade show, Billing & OSS World Conference & Expo, was purchased by Virgo Publishing LLC in September.

Who is Virgo Publishing? Good question. You might know us best by our other titles. Virgo Publishing’s Telecom Division publishes PHONE+ and xchange magazines and is the producer of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. What you might not know is Virgo is an information services company that produces 17 business-to-business magazines and nine conferences across six verticals.

The company has built a solid platform for information delivery, but more importantly, it has a track record in the telecom industry. PHONE+ marked its 20th anniversary in 2007, and xchange and the Channel Partners Expo each are more than 10 years old.

With the acquisition of the Billing World properties, Virgo is able immediately to grow its Telecom Division and, at the same time, offer the Billing World franchise the ability to grow to the next level with the backing of an experienced publishing and events company.

Billing World and OSS Today magazine has a long history as well. It is 12 years old and has built a reputation as a primary source for coverage and analysis of the telecommunications BSS/OSS sector, including billing, customer management, OSS, IMS, taxation, revenue assurance and cost management. The trade show is celebrating its 16th year in 2008 and is the premier conference and exposition program focusing on the business and operations support systems requirements for next-generation communications networks. More than 1,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the 2008 event, April 29 to May 1, in Chicago.

The synergies between Virgo’s telecom industry titles and the Billing World properties are clear. Virgo brings a breadth of coverage and readership while Billing World offers depth in one critical area. Together, they can build on these strengths and create a more valuable educational resource for the communications industry.

This issue marks Virgo’s first as publishers of Billing World and OSS Today. You might have noticed some cosmetic changes, including a new name — Billing & OSS World — and a new logo. We’ve also changed the look a bit, but preserved the familiar format and sections. We plan to continue to evolve the product, with more substantive changes planned for 2008. This will include a new look and a new Web site. Our commitment to bringing you pertinent, actionable information remains steadfast.

We hope you will join us in creating a publication that meets the needs of the Billing and OSS professional. Please feel free to contact me or Group Editor Khali Henderson at khenderson@vpico.com with your comments and suggestions. And, we hope to meet you firsthand in Chicago in the spring.

Mike Saxby

Group Publisher
Virgo Publishing Telecom Division