I never imagined myself in 1986 doing what I do now. But it was then that the seeds were planted for the role I have in this great magazine.
At that time I was graduating and had no clue what I wanted to be. A fine guidance councillor, Sister Mary, said that journalism would be a good path.
Around the same time Paul Plesman, owner-operator of Plesman Publications, asked Jerry Zeidenberg to run a new publication called Computer Dealer News that would accompany its flagship publication, Computing Canada.
Through the next 20 years CDN has had many great editors, such as Grant Buckler, Shawn Stokes, Jim Buchok, Ian Johnson and Michelle Douglass. These men and women have interviewed some of the most amazing individuals in computing and business.
In this special issue, we profile 20 key executives who, in our opinion, made an enormous impact on the computing channel. We also have updates on other executives who had their time in the sun.
Also in this issue we list 20 events that have shaped the channel, and after sorting through numerous products resellers have sold and implemented over the past two decades, we have selected the top 20 for your review.
In our centre spread we put together a time line of distributor acquisitions that will certainly take you down memory lane.
On our back page we ask Jim Carroll, who got his start writing about IT in CDN’s sister publication Computing Canada and has now become a well-known futurist, to help readers see what might transpire in the next 20 years.
It is without question, in my mind, that CDN would not be celebrating anything if it weren’t for the amazing men and women who make up the channel. Over the past 10 years I have met a lot of you and I think the world of you. Solution providers in Canada, I believe, have built the best things this country has to offer.
I do this job for you and try to make this magazine the best out there because you deserve it.
I hope you enjoy this special edition of CDN. As always I welcome your comments and you can email me directly at [email protected].
In closing, I wish to dedicate this special edition of the magazine in memory of Grace Casselman, former CDN news editor.
