Sometimes when you’re looking ahead and building for the future, you forget to document how much you’ve already achieved. For Nine Lives Media Inc., 2008 was filled with business launches and milestones. In case you’re just getting to know us, here are some of the highlights:

2007:

• No time for the December holidays. Nine Lives Media Inc. begins work in stealth mode.
• December 26, 2007: We post our first corporate blog entry, describing the meaning of our company name and our corporate focus. Readers and sponsors have since validated our vision.

1Q 2008:

• MSPmentor.net — the ultimate guide to managed services — moves from a beta site to a full-blown launch. It quickly emerges as the most popular online destination for aspiring and established MSPs, and is now ranked among the top 3 percent of all blogs on the Web.
• TheVARguy.com — what’s next in the IT channel — launches. It quickly becomes the IT channel’s top-ranked blog, and is now ranked among the top 1 percent of all blogs on the Web.
• The MSPmentor 100 — a guide to the world’s top managed service providers — launches. We believe it is the most widely read managed services study and research report in the world.

2Q 2008:

• Nine Lives Media Inc. moderates executive-level events for SAS Institute, BMC Software, Intel and other major IT companies.
• WorksWithU, the independent guide to Ubuntu Linux, launches. It quickly becomes the top-ranked media blog covering Ubuntu in business. Overall, WorksWithU is ranked among the top 5 percent of blogs on the Web.
• MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange launches. The monthly Webcast series sells out for the year.
• Live blog coverage from Kaseya User Conference.

3Q 2008:

• Nine Lives Media Inc.’s overall web traffic doubles from January to July 2008.
• The MSPmentor 250 — a look at the top executives, entrepreneurs and experts shaping managed services — launches.
• SaaS 20 Stock Index — tracking software as a service companies on Wall Street — launches.
• Live blog coverage from multiple events including Zenith Infotech MSPtv, OSCON (Open Source Conference), F5 Networks Partner Summit, CompTIA Breakaway. Ingram Micro Seismic Chicago, MSP Revolution and ConnectWise Partner Summit.
• Sponsorships for TheVARguy.com and MSPmentor.net are sold out through the end of 2008.

4Q 2008:

• Live blog coverage from N-able Partner Summit and CompTIA Managed Services Summit.
• Keynote speaker at MSP Evolution event series in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane).
• Final MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange webcast of 2008. Entire webcast series was sold out for the year.
• Second-annual MSPmentor 100 survey completed. Results — including the world’s top 100 MSPs — to be announced February 2009.
• The VAR Guy’s Open Source 50 survey completed. Results — highlighting the world’s top open source companies working in the IT channel — to be announced January 2009.

Overall, 2008 was a busy year filled with product launches. What are we planning for an encore in 2009? Stay tuned.