SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TechWeb's InformationWeek, the leading multimedia business technology brand, played host to several thousand IT professionals during a high-impact virtual event centered around the launch of Windows 7 -- one of the most anticipated technology introductions of the year.

The "Business Case for Windows 7" virtual event, which took place September 30th, exceeded all attendance and participation goals by all measures -- and in fact, according to platform provider ON24, performed well over industry standards for both pre-registrants and live attendees with the average virtual event attracting 3,000 registrants and half typically attending. The event, powered by the ON24 (wwww.on24.com) platform, registered more than 4,000 business technology professionals. Sixty percent of those who registered attended on the live event date -- a record-breaking statistic for InformationWeek, whose virtual event track record includes not only a host of successful events this year, but multiple industry awards as well.

More than 2,400 participants spent more than two hours engaged within the virtual environment watching webcast presentations, networking with peers, and visiting technology vendor booths with comprehensive Windows 7 resources. Metrics from the event clearly illustrate the technology decision making audience's interest and engagement of InformationWeek virtual events:

• Approximately 4,000 registrants
• Approximately 2,400 attendees
• Average booth visit time per attendee: 13 minutes
• Average unique visitors per booth: 1,244
• Average unique page clicks per booth: 3,010
• Average downloads per booth: 611
  

The InformationWeek Windows 7 virtual event revealed some trepidation among IT decision makers looking to understand the business impact of adopting the new operating system and concerns that need to be addressed before a full rollout across the enterprise. Through a series of live webcasts, InformationWeek and Windows 7 subject matter experts discussed, debated and evaluated critical topics such as performance issues, security and management processes, and compatibility challenges.

"I came here to learn more about key Windows 7 components without having to wade through the tsunami of material on the Internet," said Lowell Mullins, Information Technology Architect of a leading global financial services company. "It was well worth it."

"We mixed it up with sessions featuring such experts as Microsoft's CIO Tony Scott and General Manager for Windows Client Gavriella Schuster," said Alexander Wolfe, Editor In Chief of InformationWeek.com. "The Windows 7 virtual event's powerful results underline the importance of diligently applying InformationWeek's analytical point of view through rich, deep content, and an intense commitment to the virtual information delivery platform and user experience."

The Windows 7 Virtual Event sponsor roster included a diverse group of companies, including: Microsoft, Thawte, and Global Knowledge.

The virtual event is currently accessible on-demand until September 30, 2010 at http://techweb.com/win7-virtual. InformationWeek hosts more than 12 virtual events year-round, providing attendees with:

• Complimentary access to a content-driven online destination to help business technology executives in their decision-making process
• An environment optimized for online participation and learning
• Access to featured Webcast presentations, keynotes and panel discussions
• Opportunity to download presentations, research documents, and add new "peer" contacts to their personal online briefcase
  

For more information about InformationWeek marketing programs and future virtual events, please visit createyournextcustomer.com or contact Martha Schwartz, VP of Sales, at mschwartz@techweb.com.

About ON24 Inc.

The recognized global virtual events market share leader, ON24 is the world's leading provider of webcasting and virtual environments for corporate communications and demand generation. ON24 offers fully integrated, enterprise-wide solutions for a wide range of applications, including training, conferences, company meetings, partner expos and trade shows. More than 750 organizations in publishing, technology, life sciences, government and financial services, including IBM, Cisco, United Business Media, Credit Suisse, GE Healthcare, Oracle and the National Science Foundation, rely on ON24. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York, London and Singapore. For more information, visit http://www.ON24.com.

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network (http://www.informationweek.com/)

The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow -- from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the Network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties like DarkReading.com (security), IntelligentEnterprise.com (application architecture), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and PlugintotheCloud.com (cloud computing). The Network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers and SMBs via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's and bMighty.com, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government and Healthcare sites. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy -- IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions.

About TechWeb (http://www.techweb.com/aboutus)

TechWeb, the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and VoiceCon; online resources such as the InformationWeek Business Technology Network, Light Reading, Network Computing, and Insurance & Technology; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services ranging from next-generation performance marketing to integrated media, market research and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

*13.3 million business decision-makers: based on number of monthly connections across TechWeb brands.

    Contact:   Ellen Asuncion
               Sr. Marketing Manager
               949.223.3622
               easuncion@techweb.com

SOURCE TechWeb