Welcome to the relaunch of the Tea & Coffee Trade Online! The staff of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal in New York have been working hard to create the most resourceful stop for coffee and tea information on the Web.

It has been a strenuous road since we first went on line back in late 1997; since then the look has changed three times. This first look was merely a welcome letter; its simplistic style was, of course, typical of many sites at the time of creation and merely served the purpose of etching our address into cyberspace. That achieved, the second launch went on to set-up a sharp well-designed site.

I later began studying with then Editor-in-Chief of Forbes.com. At that time, the magazine industry, like all industries, was trying to find a standard online look, and as the face of that new standard began to reveal itself, I once again moved to change the site to reflect this new look.

Shortly thereafter I began meeting with Hokan Ledjstrand, Director of Mergers & Acquisitions, Europe, for razorfish, regarding his cutting-edge speech on the future of digital technology he was to deliver at our 1999 Tea & Coffee World Cup. I relayed to him our plans to have on our site an e-commerce platform, a live chat facilitation, and online access to our Ukers' International Tea & Coffee Directory & Buyers' Guide. He convinced me that incorporating these items demanded a stronger server and a more complex site architecture--all in all, he convinced me of the internet's potential.

So here we have arrived at teaandcoffee.net, Part Four. This one promises to deliver all we have envisioned and more. Information, information, and more information is essential to keeping ahead your competitors and Tea & Coffee Trade Online is here to help. While applying what I learned from the Sales Director for NBCi.com/snap.com, Kendall Smith, I will continue to add cutting-edge site features and insightful editorial coverage that blend the worlds of coffee and tea with the universe of internet technology.

It is the nature of the Web to constantly upgrade and revise to meet the needs of a new and ever-evolving medium. Stay tuned to Digital Grind for monthly updates on what new media developments are challenging businesses and how these challenges affect our industry. Yet, while we do our part, you must do yours. Global access is the key to the door of opportunities - are you equipped to unlock the future?

Best Regards,

Rosanna Mazzei
Online Editor
Tea & Coffee Trade Online