SmartPlanet

This article is about the magazine. For Smarter Planet, IBM's corporate initiative, see IBM and Smarter Planet.

SmartPlanet was an online magazine that covered clean technology and information technology as it related to healthcare, science, transportation, corporate sustainability, architecture, and design. It was part of the business portfolio of CBS Interactive that included BNET and ZDNet and was known for its daily coverage of the technology and energy industries. It stopped publishing on June 30, 2014.

SmartPlanet

"Insight and ideas that impact the world around you."
Editor	Larry Dignan
Categories	Business, technology, science, energy, healthcare, design, thought leadership
Circulation	250,000 readers^[1]
Publisher	CBS Interactive
First issue	November 2, 1999
Final issue	June 30, 2014
Country	United States, (US and France editions)
Language	English
Website	smartplanet.com

History

 

SmartPlanet logo circa 2008

 

SmartPlanet logo circa 2009

 

SmartPlanet's homepage in 2008

The site was first launched by Ziff Davis on November 2, 1999^[2] as an online educational service and "personal learning community" focused on the technology industry.^[3][4]

After CNET Networks acquired Ziff Davis and subsidiary ZDNet in 2000,^[5] SmartPlanet was relaunched in 2001 as a paid learning service for IT professionals.^[6]

In 2008, it was relaunched as a U.K.-based eco-friendly, green lifestyle publication that featured reviews of sustainable and ethical products.^[7][8][9] It was edited by Adam Vaughan, who is now energy correspondent of The Guardian.^[10]

In June 2009, SmartPlanet was relocated to the U.S. and revamped as a business-centric publication led by ZDNet editor-in-chief Larry Dignan.^[11] It stopped publishing on June 30, 2014, and its staff and content were merged with ZDNet.

Editorial coverage

 

SmartPlanet's homepage in 2010

 

SmartPlanet's homepage in 2014

At launch in 2009, SmartPlanet was divided into three sections: Smart Business, Smart Technology and Smart People.

Blogs

Within SmartPlanet's sections were several blogs:

• Business Brains, which covers cities, transportation and corporate sustainability.
• Intelligent Energy, which covers clean technology.
• Pure Genius, which profiles the inventors and thought leaders behind innovation.
• Rethinking Healthcare, which covers health technology and policy.
• Science Scope, which covers scientific discoveries.
• Thinking Tech, which covers aerospace, automotive, military, supercomputers and other applied technology.
• Solving Cities, which covers urban planning, public works infrastructure, government 2.0 initiatives and green building.
• Transport Theory, which covers various modes of transportation and the systems and infrastructure that support them.
• Smart Takes, an editor's blog with daily news and opinion items.

Its blogs were eliminated in a 2013 redesign and rebranding that recategorized the content into news ("The Latest," formerly called "The Bulletin") and features ("The Issue").

 

The opening slate to "The Future Of..."

Video

SmartPlanet regularly produced original video on new technologies, innovators and industry conferences on sustainability, energy and green technology.

The site's occasional series called "The Future Of..." was known for featuring real-world applications of new technologies that redefine existing products or services, such as diabetic monitors, bus stops and hospitals. ^[12]

In 2011, the series won the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for "Best Use of Video" by a B2B trade publication.^[13]

See also

• BNET
• CBS Interactive
• CBS MoneyWatch
• CBS News
• CNET
• TechRepublic
• ZDNet

References

1. . Quantcast Corp. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
2. PR Newswire (November 2, 1999). "SmartPlanet.com Goes Live with the Largest Personal Learning Community On the Web". CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-11-15.^{[dead link]}
3. Business Wire (March 14, 2000). "SmartPlanet Teams With Intuit to Rescue Consumers From Burdens of Tax Season". CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-06-15. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
4. ClearStation (October 7, 1999). . E-Trade. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
5. Greg Winter, Alex Kuczynski (July 20, 2000). "CNet Is Buying What Remains Of Ziff-Davis". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
6. CBS Interactive (June 20, 2001). . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 4, 2006. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
7. CNET Networks UK (March 6, 2008). "Website makes it easy to go green". CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
8. Press Gazette (UK) (April 17, 2008). Press Gazette. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
9. Sarah Crawley-Boevey (March 11, 2008). "CNET goes green with new website launch". Brand Republic. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
10. The Guardian (September 28, 2007). "Adam Vaughan". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
11. Andrew Nusca (June 3, 2009). . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
12. SmartPlanet (September 30, 2010). . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
13. American Business Media (March 10, 2011). "2011 Jesse H. Neal Award Winners & Finalists" (PDF). American Business Media. Retrieved 2011-04-01. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)

External links

• Official website
• Hiskes, Jonathan (2010-01-26). "SmartPlanet is not going green". Analysis. Seattle: Grist. Retrieved 2010-06-09.