CMP MEDIA MERGES TWO PUBS FOR NEW FEBRUARY LAUNCH.

CMP Media (Manhasset, NY), a division of Miller Freeman (San Francisco, CA), and Microsoft Corp. (Redmond, WA) have ceased publication of Microsoft Systems Journal and Microsoft Internet Developer magazines. Their circulation will be merged and a new magazine, MSDN, will be launched with an issue on February 22.

The new publication will be published monthly with a paid and controlled circulation of 72,000 Internet software developers. Microsoft Systems Journal was a monthly launched in 1986 by Microsoft. Editorial covered Microsoft computer systems. Microsoft Internet Developer, also published monthly, was launched in 1996 by Microsoft and Fawcette Technical Publications (Palo Alto, CA) as Microsoft Interactive Developer. It was targeted to independent and corporate interactive developers who create corporate Web sites and Intranet systems.

The magazine's accompanying Web site includes all editorial, access to source code discussed in the print edition, and information on related reader services. The first print issue includes feature articles on using SQL Server 2000, the Simple Object Access Protocal and its uses, Windows 2000 and IU innovations, drag and drop manipulation with XML and building an "easy maintenance Intranet site.

Regular columns will cover such topics as MP3 wireless networking, development resources, Web page design, using XML, security, C-H- and Visual Basic.