Business Wire debuts German language website… local presence with global reach

As a major player on the worldwide scene and responding to the specific needs and nuances of German-speaking clients in the D/A/CH region, Business Wire unveiled www.businesswire.de , the first in a planned series of European and Asian language-specific websites tailored to meet the specialized requirements of local audiences.

The site reflects Business Wire’s unique commitment among global commercial news providers. We singularly offer a full-range of local disclosure and news distribution options, coupled with a decentralized approach to editorial operations and customer service, including 22 newsrooms worldwide.

The new German site illustrates our emergence as the industry’s premier global communications platform, offering multinational companies a totally integrated multilingual solution for reaching international markets.

Our patented NX news delivery system currently transmits releases in 14 languages, simultaneously and in real-time, resulting in client releases appearing in multiple languages on major market-moving newswires and desktop terminals. Business Wire’s main website, www.BusinessWire.com, displays copy in 17 languages. Both capabilities are industry benchmarks.

The German-language site underscores our strategy of providing clients with a full-suite of services, supported by worldwide media and investor relations networks. In Germany, Business Wire’s multi-channel platform includes vwd, ddp, the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, an exclusive cross-section of leading international news services, national news agencies, and prestigious financial information providers.

In February, Business Wire announced a complete portfolio of compliance services for German-listed companies, enabling public companies to meet the strictly defined disclosure requrements of the BaFin, Germany’s financial regulator.

Cathy Baron Tamraz, the company’s president and CEO said “Germany provides a classic case study of Business Wire’s two-tier approach to international expansion. Our primary goal is to be sensitive to local cultures, customs, and client needs, while simultaneously providing companies with seamless access to the world’s major financial and consumer markets. Our message is clearly resonating, as evidenced by our growing ranks of major European companies that have joined our fast-growing client base during the past year.”

Local Newsrooms, Better Service.

At the just-concluded NIRI Annual Conference our focus was “Local Newsrooms, Better Service“. We used this to emphasize that while our competitors use a centralized call-center approach, Business Wire has nearly two dozen full-service bureaus.

But it’s more than that. Behind each newsroom is a staff of seasoned professionals with an unmatched attention to detail. In today’s world I think it’s pretty rare to find so many long-term employees. Does that benefit our customers? Clearly. Our editors get to know our clients and the intricacies of their needs and preferences. Over time, they are able to spot when something isn’t quite right - a misspelling, receiving a draft instead of a final press release, earnings numbers that are out of order or missing characters, a missed email or fax list on an order.

Every day our newsroom pros take hundreds of incoming press releases and process, electronically code, properly format for web and editorial systems, coordinate translations, photos, multimedia, special fax lists, custom requests and more and then ensure the releases go out without error at the exact moment requested. I think it’s amazing, but it’s second nature to them.

I wonder, though, with all of our competitors moving to central call-center approaches are we missing something? I feel strongly that local people and local relationships are the way to go, but do you? What are your thoughts?

By the way, here’s a list of some of our senior editorial/operations folks and their years of service as well as editors with 9+ years at BW. This doesn’t even include the many in sales, billings, tech, web, media relations and other critical departments that have been here as long or longer. Impressive, don’t you think?

ATLANTA:
Laura Kahn, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years

Yasmine Holmes, Client Services, 12 years

BOSTON:
Greg Kasabian, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Mike Poirier, National Operations Trainer, 10 years

CHARLOTTE:
Penny Sowards, Newsroom Supervisor, 21 years

CHICAGO:
Chelsea Earnhardt, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Yvonne Moy, Senior Editor, 9 years

CLEVELAND:
Jill Williams, Midwest Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 19 years
Dennis Lynch, Assistant Newsroom Supervisor, 11 years

DALLAS:
Lynn Rushlau, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Alex Eno, Senior Editor, 16 years

DENVER:
Dan Murphy, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
JoAnne Hirsch, Client Services, 14 years

HOUSTON:
Amber Agan, Newsroom Supervisor, 6 years

LONDON:
Adam Channell, European Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years
Nigel Egan, London Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years

LOS ANGELES:
Teri Johnson, Southern California Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 16 years
April Petross, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
James Chong, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Mary Bullock, Assistant Newsroom Supervisor, 10 years
Roger Johnson, Senior Editor, 10 years
Bill Mikulak, Senior Editor, 9 years
Terence Monika, Assistant Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years

MIAMI:
Janet Duncan, Newsroom Supervisor, 18 years
Gillian Adam, Newsroom Supervisor, 17 years
Neil Bardach, Client Services, 11 years
Claudia Perez-Bonilla, Senior Editor, 10 years
Pilar Portela-Webb, Senior Editor, 11 years

MINNEAPOLIS:
Shannon Hysjulien, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years

NASHVILLE:
Cathy Dunn, VP, National Operations, 21 years
Loree Cannon, Southeast Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Adam Click, Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Andrew Guinn, Newsroom Supervisor, 6 years
Donnie Rogers, Doc Editor, 19 years

NEWPORT BEACH:
Kasey Greek, Newsroom Supervisor, 3 years
Kathy Tomasino, Client Services, 10 years

NEW YORK:
Mike Maguire, National Editorial Supervisor, 17 years
Karen Ball, Senior Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Skip Walsh, Newsroom Supervisor, 10 years
Anthony Coloneri, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Sean Murphy, International Desk Supervisor, 12 years
Scott Goll, EDGAR Desk Supervisor, 12 years
Jeff Abelson, Photo Desk Supervisor, 11 years
Dan Blue, Senior International Desk Editor, 9 years
Frank Brunett, FCS Editor, 9 years
Richie Crippen, Senior Editor, 13 years
Stephanie Graham, Special Services, 11 years
Bob Grochowski, Senior Editor, 12 years
Indra Ramrattan, Special Services, 11 years
Ivette Coston, Senior Client Services Rep., 10 years

PARIS:
Diane Carelli, Newsroom Supervisor, 2 years

PHILADELPHIA:
Steve Faella, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years

PHOENIX:
Shari Gutter, Southwest Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 17 years

SAN ANTONIO:
Courtney Davila, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Barbie Dunn, Editor, 9 years

SAN FRANCISCO:
Pat Evans, Sr. Vice President, Global Operations, 26 years
Lisa Wenzel, VP, Global Operations, 19 years
Eric Lum, Regional Newsroom Supervisor, 7 years
Lindsay Onodera, Senior Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years
Ingrid Kettunen, Newsroom Supervisor, 17 years
Wanda Glennon, Newsroom Supervisor, 8 years
Marcella Rouse, Newsroom Supervisor, 4 years
Anne Cullen, Assistant Supervisor, 16 years
Chip Dunlap, Editor, 18 years
Jarvis Lee, Editor, 14 years
Kasey Ochs, International Operations Manager, 9 years

SEATTLE:
Debbie Subia, National Editorial Supervisor, 19 years
Colleen Robb, Newsroom Supervisor, 14 years
Aaron Schmidt, Newsroom Supervisor, 9 years
Susan Morris, Senior Editor, 21 years
Kevin Stant, Senior Editor, 19 years

TOKYO:
Atsushi Suzuki, Newsroom Supervisor, 2 years