German media empire placing bets on social software

Hubert Burda runs a 102 year old German media company and he is betting the future lies in the connections made possible by social sofware.

Printing will not go away, but I do not plan to open a single new printing plant. We now concentrate on using social software to build closer relations with the communities of readers around our magazines.

This is far from the viwepoint I would have ever guessed someone in his position would have. This is the sort of mainstream awakening that makes me want to get further out in front and fast.