Future Scoops Rights To Windows Title

Future publishing has scooped the rights to create the official magazine to accompany the next generation of Microsoft Windows software.

The deal will see Future hold the rights to Windows Vista The Official Magazine for five years, with worldwide licensing and distribution opportunities coming as part of the package.

The magazine will accompany Microsoft’s newest version of Windows, designed to replace XP as the operating system’s most recent incarnation.

Future currently publishes Windows XP The Official Magazine, with a circulation of 58,473. The new title is likely to replace the Windows XP title, although some crossover is expected while users upgrade to the new version.

The first issue of the Windows Vista title is expected to hit newsstands across the UK, US, France and Italy in autumn 2006, with publication in other regions handled by Future’s international publishing partners. Future’s network of publishing partnerships in 32 countries guarantees the title a wide global reach.

The publisher will clearly be hoping for success with the new title, after last month revealing trading below expectations in the second half of 2005 (see Future Reveals Trading Below Expectations).

There are currently more than 100 million users of Microsoft Windows XP worldwide, with the market for users upgrading to the new Vista software very lucrative for Future. The new title looks set to cash in on consumers’ trepidation and interest in new software by providing a guiding hand to the next generation of Windows users.

Future Publishing: 01225 442 244 www.futurenet.com