Today, CNET launches Builder.com, a website for enterprise software developers and their managers.
Other CNET sites, including CNET, ZDNet and TechRepublic already appeal to this audience, but
Builder will provide comprehensive editorial coverage of site architecture, management and other issues, access to a community of peers and the latest software downloads. It will be a site where
"developers can share information with their peers and get the mission critical answers they need," according to Bob Artner, vice president of Builder and TechRepublic.
The site will be
registration based, drawing from a pool of 2.2 million developers, CNET says.
CNET has much to say about Builder's content, but not as much about the advertising. It announced Sun and
Macromedia as two charter advertisers and said a limited number of charter sponsorships are available. "There will be a variety of opportunities depending on the level they want to participate,"
Artner says, without saying what the specific opportunities are. He says there will be 17 email newsletters generated by the site that can be used for advertising.
Artner says advertisers will
be enterprise development product vendors who will seek to reach the tech spending decision makers who will visit the site. He says developers are an atypical market for tech Web sites, because they
are not thought of as spenders. But that situation is changing. "They are becoming decision makers as the products get more involved and complicated. Companies are looking for decisions on tech
platforms and turning to developers for guidance because they work with the products and have the best sense for what's going on and what works best. And the largest vendors in the space are trying to
get in front of the developer market."
Thus it appears Builder will provide a new online advertising opportunity for vendors seeking to reach the specialized developer market.
The site
launches today, with promotions at other CNET sites, including ad banners and editorial placements.