MIT Publications has announced that EMP and Electronics Buyer will merge to form EM & P (Electronics Manufacturing and Procurement), a new title to launch in January 2007. The publishers aim to bring togeher the whole process of electronics development, “from design and procurement through to manufacture, assembly and test”. Realistically this move is probably more due to the problems of securing sufficient advertising to keep both books running: not surprising with the move of manufacturing to lower-cost locations and the fact the two electronics titles specifically targeted at purchasing that are published in Europe both fight over the UK market. Having said this, the move is a positive choice from the publisher, although we would have peferred to see the title commit to the manufacturing and procurement end of the cycle – which would allow for a more focussed editorial approach – rather than trying to address ever stage of the process.
