101communications & Stevens Publishing sold to new partnership.

101communications (Chatsworth, CA), a publisher of products for the information technology community acros a range of sectors, has been acquired by 1105 Media, Inc., a new company that includes private equity firms Nautic Partners (Providence, RI) and Alta Communications (Boston, MA) in partnership with former Reed Elsevier and Peterson Publishing executive Neal Vitale, from equity firm Frontenac (Chicago, IL) and members of 101's current management and Board of Directors. No terms of the deal, were given. 101communications was represented by Jordan Edmiston Group (New York). A number of media have estimated the sale price at $75 million or about 10 times 101communications' 2005 EBITDA of $7.5 million.

Vitale will assume the position of president/ceo of 1105 Media. 101communications was established in 1998 and its products fall into eight areas of technology expertise. The Business Intelligence unit includes "Business Intelligence Journal," while the Education Technology unit produces "Campus Journal" and "T.H.E. Journal." The Government Technology division publishes "Federal Computer Week" and "Government Health IT," the Network & Enterprise Technology unit produces "Redmond Channel Partner" and "Redmond Magazine," and the Office Technology unit publishes "Recharger" magazine. 1-he company's Software Solutions unit publishes "Application Development Trends."

All eight units, including the Technology Compliance and Technology Certification units, produce e-newsletters and web sites, with most producing their own seminars and related events. Also, 101's Data Warehousing Institute provides education, research and certification in business intelligence and data warehousing while its IT Compliance Institute provides news, research and education on the role of technology in business governance and regulatory compliance.

Current 101communications president/ceo Jeff Klein will assume "a strategic, non-operational role as non-executive chairman of the board," 1105 Media said. 101 said that, between 2002 and 2005, EBITDA grew at a compound annual rate of 25%. In 2005, revenue increased 10% while EBITDA rose more than 40%.

101communications grew mainly through acquisition, beginning with its purchase of "Application Development Trends" from Ullo International (Natick, MA) in early 1999. Some of the purchases turned out to be more successful than others. For instance, just in 1999, the company purchased: SIGS Publications (New York), the producer of such titles as "Java Report," "Component Strategies" and "C++ Report," as well as titles in the U.K. and Germany; "Syllabus Magazine" (San Jose, CA); "Recharger" magazine (Las Vegas, NV); Boucher Communications (Fort Washington, PA), the publisher of seven magazines, including "ENT," "Enterprise Systems Journal" and "HP Professional"; and, "Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine" from Quickstart Technologies (Irvine, CA).

Closely following the closing of the purchase of 101communications, 1105 Media confirmed the purchase of Stevens Publishing (Dallas, TX), a producer of eight magazines, seven newsletters and a range of online resources on regulatory, compliance, legislative and enforcement issues as they relate to the environment, occupational safety and health, and employee assistance. No terms of the deal were given. Magazine titles include "Environmental Protection," "Occupational Health & Safety," "EH&S Products," "Security Products," "Home Health Products," "Water & Wastewater Products" and "Mobility Management." Newsletter titles include "Continuing Care News," "Employee Assistance" and "Workplace Ergonomics News," among others.