We regret and apologize for the recent disruption in our service.
Some readers of Retirement Income Journal encountered a blank page and a stark sense of vacancy when they tried to access our stories over the weekend and on Monday, either by surfing to our home page or by clicking through the links in our e-mails.
In plain language, we experienced a server glitch.
Jason, our web host in Salt Lake City, e-mailed us on Saturday to say that “during routine server maintenance early this morning, WiredTree ran into issues with the core server” where RIJ resides. As a result, he wrote, “we are currently offline. All data is safe and secure via backups as well as a fully redundant server set up in a completely different data center.”
The glitch occurred during an ongoing elevation to more advanced technology at WiredTree, a Chicago-based provider of “managed and vps hosting systems.” Out of curiosity, I visited its website. WiredTree specializes in “virtualization,” which claims to provide many of the same services as a giant piece of hardware without the giant expense.
Bottom line: We were good before, but now we’re even better.
* * *
This spring, several people casually asked me how Retirement Income Journal is “doing.”
Without betraying any competitive secrets, I can say that, thanks to the support of our readers and advertisers, we’re doing well.
Over a dozen of the major insurance companies and asset management companies, as well as several broker-dealers, have purchased company-wide site licenses or group subscriptions to RIJ. In addition, hundreds of individual advisors, academics, and financial services executives have purchased individual subscriptions.
That’s significant. When we put up a “paywall” in November 2009 and began charging for access, we knew we were entering unknown territory. Even the biggest media companies have stumbled with the subscription model.
But in our case, the response started strong and, thanks to a strong renewal rate, it hasn’t quit. That’s gratifying, of course, from a revenue perspective. More importantly, it gives us the editorial freedom we need to pursue our goal: to provide an unbiased information forum for the decumulation industry.
And, because of your support, we now have sufficient resources to expand our product offerings. Look for some surprises from RIJ this year, sooner rather than later.
© 2012 RIJ Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.
