FOLSOM, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 14, 2014) - TechWire.net, a news site covering public-sector technology in California, has been acquired by e.Republic Inc., publisher of Government Technology and Governing magazines.
The deal, announced today, strengthens the company's regional coverage of an emerging nexus of technology, business and government in California. No longer simply about computing, technology and the accelerating Internet of Everything are transforming transportation systems, power grids and other traditional infrastructure -- and they're reshaping government programs from education to human services.
These developments are raising public policy issues. They're also opening new markets and capital and business opportunities around technology and government in its broadest sense. TechWire will focus on the economic, policy and commercial implications of this shift for a private-sector audience, while e.Republic's existing media platforms continue to serve government readers.
The addition of TechWire broadens e.Republic's ability to cover the ecosystem of startups that are challenging incumbent players and conventional market dynamics. Ride-sharing services, electric and autonomous vehicles, and sensor-laden roads are changing the transportation economy. The cloud and mobility are altering long held assumptions about computing. Open data and big data are coming of age through predictive analytics. And heightened demand for wireless connectivity is increasing pressure to reallocate scarce radio spectrum even as communities compete for new business based on the availability of fast and affordable broadband.
"Now more than ever, government and industry need to understand each other because they are mutually interdependent in efforts to prepare communities for the future," said e.Republic CEO Dennis McKenna. "The combination of TechWire and e.Republic positions us to deliver in-depth coverage of these evolving issues for both public- and private-sector audiences."
The 3-year-old TechWire website will remain a stand-alone site. In addition, TechWire will continue to produce the #Innovate Technology Conference in Sacramento and other California events.
TechWire founder and publisher Bill Maile will join e.Republic on March 17, becoming industry and markets editor for the company.
"I look forward to increasing our coverage in the California marketplace and better serving the technology community there," said Maile. "This is a great opportunity to take our operation to the next level."
Prior to launching TechWire in 2011, Maile was communications director for the California Technology Agency and state CIO Teri Takai, who is now chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Defense. Maile also served as deputy press secretary for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About e.Republic
e.Republic is the nation's only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.
Government Technology and Governing are divisions of e.Republic.