During 2008, the US and world economies took a nosedive, and business declined. At the same time there has been an increasing belief that newspapers are dying and will soon cease to exist.

The same has happened to newspaper industry suppliers, with companies merging, downsizing and ceasing to support their products. Yet, Vision Data has seen some of the strongest business growth in our entire 36 year history. In the last quarter both individual newspapers and two major newspaper groups have moved most or all of their business software applications to Vision Data systems.

Pioneer Newspapers, Inc. of Seattle, WA has chosen to install our Vision Total Advertising, Vision Classified Pagination, Vision Retail Ad Layout, and VisionWeb systems to run all of the advertising sales and management, pagination, layout, and business functions of their 20-plus newspapers in the Northwest United States.

Times-Shamrock Communications of Scranton, PA has chosen to install our Vision Total Advertising, Vision Classified Pagination, Vision Retail Ad Layout, and VisionWeb systems, along with Vision Circulation and Vision Total AP/GL, in all of their print publications, plus broadcast and on-line entities.

Analyzing this strong movement toward Vision Data, we realize that never before has our motto “Strong accounting, driving marketing” meant more than it does today to those newspapers willing to be pro-active in this market. Those Publishers investing in streamlined business, consolidated technology and new revenue sources are looking at an improved bottom line for 2009. They are controlling their own future and moving aggressively ahead to instill confidence in their advertisers, readers and staffs.

With their new Vision Data technology, Pioneer Newspapers, Inc. and Times-Shamrock Communications are taking a hands-on approach which will maintain more advertiser interest. They are making new capital expenditures instead of product downsizing to combat the advertising recession. By developing marketing plans based on solid business data as well as new processes, they will improve advertising campaigns for customers, control operating costs, and improve their products reach and effectiveness.

These Publishers also find they are building staff enthusiasm and retaining top performers by challenging them to grow with new methods and products, and by giving them better tools with which to work. These same newspapers are positioning themselves for the future by investing in systems that will better serve them in the changing world of electronic and niche media.

It is clear that those newspapers moving ahead with technology investments, like those provided by Vision Data, are the ones who are going to end up being best able to take advantage of the coming economic upturn, and continue to grow in the foreseeable future. Those with a “wait and see” or “batten down the hatches” approach might find themselves too far behind to ever get their share of future opportunities.

We invite you to contact us for a free consultation about positioning your business for the future. You can reach us at sales@vdata.com, (518) 434-2193, or through our website, www.vdata.com.