Shyam Malhotra, Executive Director & Editor-in-Chief, Cyber Media

Information technology, even as it powered the communications revolution, cluttered the mindspace of a vast multitude of users. The IT boom caused an information overload, thereby triggering an urgent need in the minds of the users to obtain relevant information. Notably, Gurgaon-based Cyber Media has been playing a catalytic role in channeling relevant IT information to a vast readership base in the country. Rajiv Raghunath of exchange4media.com caught up with Shyam Malhotra, Executive Director, Cyber Media India Ltd and Editor-in-Chief, Cyber Publications, to gain an insight into content management in the domain of information technology. Malhotra, who also heads the group’s foray into the electronic media and is Director in charge of Cyber Media India Online and Cyber Multimedia, says the challenge is in customising IT information to local needs. Malhotra is an engineer and business administrator by training, having obtained his engineering degree from IIT Delhi and MBA from IIM Calcutta. Now, as an editor, he believes the future belongs to niche publications. Following are excerpts of the interaction:

Q. Are you really showcasing business opportunities?

Yes. They are opportunities. Like in any media business, we have two customers—readers and advertisers. Our endeavour is to provide a platform that serves the needs of both. We develop content that helps people in their day-to-day decision-making, and do not focus on theoretical concepts. So, if we are writing on WiFi, we would not go into the details of the technology. Rather, we will talk about what WiFi can do for you and maybe give a couple of examples of people who have used WiFi.

Q. Is there are an overseas market for content generated here?

There is only a limited need. Yes, we do meet huge needs but of a limited number of companies overseas. In the normal course, the information we give may be useful to Indians abroad and may also fulfil the needs of Indian desks overseas.

As for the large companies, those that are keen on India run their own operations here. Perhaps, smaller organisations may want to remain in touch with the information we provide.

Further, there may be organisations that are interesting in getting information on IT services and ITeS, but that’s a different market. There is a vacuum there.

Q. Is it important for you to be talking about the business of technology? Or, are you focused on technology itself?

The key role that we have set for ourselves revolves more around the business of technology. A large part of the technology that we use in this part of the world emerges from the US. And, there is a huge lot of information that is already available on technology per se.

Our preference is to talk about the business of technology or the application of technology. We focus on the local relevance of technologies. And, that’s where we add tremendous value to information. So, I would not go out of the way to detail, for instance, programming techniques.

Q. Do you see competition increasing in the coming times with the Government allowing FDI in print, with easier norms in the technical publications segment?

We have seen competition for the last 20 years. Large media houses had stepped in this field. Take Computers Today that was launched in 1985, two and half years after we entered the market. We have seen international titles in the market. But hardly any of them are around now.

Our challenge is in providing content that has local relevance. There is no point in picking international content as they are, because the information on products may not be relevant in the domestic segment. For example, I came across some international content on a new modem. The modem was given high rating but it was found to be not suitable in the Indian market where there is high telephone noise level. However, once the adjustment was made, the modem worked well in the Indian market.

Whether it is pricing, technology or business, each of these need to be understood and explained in the Indian context.

We generate data that is relevant to India. And if we pick global ideas, we discuss their local relevance. After all, it is not enough to just turn a Sam into Shyam.

There is indeed no dearth of information; the challenge is in packaging. As for content, one can tie up with so many organisations worldwide.

Q. Do you have ongoing tie-ups for content?

Time to time we have had various tie-ups, such as, Reuters in CIOL for IT related stories, Silicon Valley News Service articles, Business Wire and News Bytes.

We have a big tie-up with BusinessWeek for providing content to the eBiz section of Dataquest.

Q. Are you planning to address the IT services and ITeS segments?

We are considering to address them. But the traditional IT services continue to work with limited clientele. On a different plane, a magazine is required when the relationships are one too many.

ITeS is a different industry. One is selling not to the CIO of a company but to the functional heads of the processes that get outsourced. So, the information needs of ITeS segment are different. The companies that need the information are also different.

We are considering the right way to handle all this.

Q. In doing so is there a risk of promotional matter getting into editorial content? How do you draw a line between promotions and editorial content?

As far as I am concerned we don’t draw that line because they are completely different. We have not been known to be extraordinarily friendly to companies. At the same time, any growing industry would have its pangs and therefore one should not go out of the way to highlight just problems. Media has a huge role to play in the building of a company or country. India is partly shining today because media is saying that India is shining.

The general media tends to look only for problems. There are problems, but that does not mean that you want to read only about them. We have maintained objectivity and credibility for a good 22 years.

As for the product-related information that we carry, they are based on the product tests that are conducted at our Cyber Media Labs, which work closely with PC Quest.

In addition, we seldom limit our coverage to a single product; we cover 10-15 products in every segment and let the customer choose the products. And, if we give ratings or rankings, those are based on the tests that are done in our labs.

Q. What challenges do you see in managing content for your publications?

The foremost challenge is in covering a diverse field like information technology that sees rapid changes. We need to cover the emerging areas in a meaningful way by keeping pace with the virtual explosion in the areas and by meeting the information needs within these areas. This field is highly integrated as well as diversified in terms of the range of content.

Q. Tell us how you nurture talent. Is it easy to find people who can handle technology-related content?

That’s a constant challenge. In 1986 I started with people who had backgrounds in biology, zoology, etc. That time there was nobody who could write on the subject. Essentially, we knew that we wouldn’t get readymade people and that we would lose people to competition. Yet, we worked on training people. We get industry people to come and talk to the team.

We have a core team of technology people who can be consulted on the technical aspects. The writing is done by journalists. We have 120 odd people in the content team.

Q. Would you say that niche publishing holds the key to future?

Definitely. In the IT industry there are two kinds of users—ordinary home users who use PC as a consumer durable; and enterprise users who see PCs as capital equipment. The buyer behaviour varies with each segment. The advertiser or general media can meet the information needs of the former. But niche publications play a role in reaching out to the second segment.

Niche publications are about cutting edge technologies, new products, etc.

Further, in spite of the information that is available on the Net, there is a need to collate information that is relevant. Niche publications have a huge role to play in collating the right kind of information. But both the readers and the advertisers often overlook this.

Niche publications also offer opportunities for contextual advertising.