Just a few years ago, newspapers,   magazines and printed media were the primary source of news and information for most people across the world. How times have changed! Today’s media consumers now get their news and information from a variety of sources, and the Internet has now become the driving force in this media new world order. To stay ahead of the ongoing trend toward online media, Floor Covering Installer has been adding more content to our Web site, www.fcimag.com, including daily breaking news and exclusive installation feature articles. In addition, our monthly eNewsletters keep our subscribers on top of the latest flooring related news. Now, we have taken this approach one step further with the premiere of this, the first digital edition of FCI.

“What’s a digital edition?” you ask. Simply put, a digital edition offers all of the content and features you are used to from our print editions, with some added benefits. First, it is more convenient to receive, and to pass on to friends, as it is delivered to you via e-mail. One click of the mouse and you are on your way.  Navigating through the pages is easy and intuitive, and you can use the built-in search feature to locate topics, companies and items that interest you the most. Clicking the index takes you directly where you want to go, without having to flip back and forth looking for articles. You can even click an ad or product, and you will automatically be taken to the company’s web site without having to open a new page. If you are planning to be off-line and want to take the issue with you, just download the issue and save it to your desktop for viewing wherever you want to read it. If you want to catch up on back issues and do not have the print additions, simply visit our web site, www.fcimag.com and select from the library of Digital Edition Archives, which are listed on the left column. In addition to saving time, the digital issue also saves paper, making it the most “green” way to share this valuable information with our readers.

Despite the many advantages of the digital edition, undoubtedly there are some people who prefer the old-fashioned paper issues and wonder if the digital issues will replace the print versions. To those people, fear not; the digital editions are not intended to replace the print issues, but to supplement them. The three new digital-only issues this spring, summer and fall will help you stay informed between the eight print editions, which will also be available in digital format.

We hope that you enjoy this digital issue of Floor Covering Installer, whether you read it on your computer at home or on your mobile device of choice while on the go. We’d like to know what you think of this new format, so please e-mail us with your comments and suggestions on how we can help FCI better meet your changing needs.