As an hvacr business leader, you know how technology has changed your business in recent years. Products can do much more than they used to, and they can do everything more efficiently. Customers have changed, too. They are using digital tools to learn about product choices, study product details, and make actual purchases. This, of course, is all good news because educated, engaged customers and exciting new products drive businesses to be the best they can be.

We in publishing have watched technology change our products and customers in recent years as well. Last month, I announced that you can follow HVACR Business on Twitter now (http://twitter.com/hvacrbusiness). We also have a Facebook page to help interact with you. To find us just type HVACR Business into the search bar. These new social media tools complement our free, fully searchable Web site and our monthly newsletter, Ahead of the Curve. So what’s next?

The magazine you are holding is available in a highly functional digital edition. With this August issue, we are launching HVACR Business-Digital. Readers who subscribe to our digital edition at www.hvacrbusiness.com will receive the complete magazine in digital format via email about 10 days before print subscribers. The same insightful columnists and informative articles will appear in each edition, but the digital edition will cater to those who prefer receiving information electronically and/or those who would like to use digital functionality to search, store, or share our articles and columns.

The digital edition includes other convenience and efficiency benefits as well, including:

• Digital notification and delivery.

• Direct and immediate access to related material through embedded links.

• Custom views, prints, and downloads. These features show thumbnail-size images of all articles. You can download as much or as little of the magazine as you want. (Printing capability of the digital version will be limited to only those subscribers who opt to receive the digital version instead of print, but anyone can read and view the digital edition online.)

• Preferences such as browsing style and special interests that allow you to customize your issue.

• Using one-click search and link options. The search options include keyword searches. The links option saves time by helping readers who remember seeing a Web site address in an article or advertisement but don’t recall the exact location. If this happens, readers can click on an option to list all of the links that appear in that issue.

• Zooming in and out on content to focus on specific copy, advertisements or illustrations.

These are just some of the tools provided by our digital publishing partner, Texterity, a leader in this field with clients such as Time Inc. and Disney Publishing.

With all the attention the hvacr industry has been giving to green efforts, I of course need to touch on the environmental benefits of this move. We have no intention of halting the production of our print publication. It remains our most valuable resource and is the core of our business. Each year, though, more readers of all types are discovering the benefits of digital publications, which don’t require intense use of resources such as paper, ink, and energy. Someday, all magazines might be in digitalonly formats. If that day comes sooner rather than later, we will be ahead of the game. Most importantly, we want to deliver our content in the format that is the best for you — and now we’ve given you more options. I know that this move will make the relationship we share with you, the reader, more convenient, personal, and meaningful. Sign up today and see for yourself.