We've made a habit of addressing the topic of "what's next" with our last issue of each year to help readers frame what they should focus on in order to remain competitive in the coming year. It's more than a little ironic, however, that the concept of what lies ahead is the cover feature of this particular issue of SalesForceXP-the 54th and last issue under the SFXP brand.

It's frightening how it seems like only one autumn ago instead of nine that our team sat in the kitchen at the home of publisher Mike Murrell and discussed what we thought SalesForceXP should be, who its readers were, and how we could serve them.

We've accomplished much of what we put down on paper that day. The fact that we're wrapping up our ninth year when most start-up publications-indeed, most small businesses of any kind-aren't able to make it through a second or third, is validation that we did something right.

But change is necessary in any industry to stay competitive. We've spread that message countless times in these pages.  Now, we're about to practice what we've preached.

Beginning with the January/February 2012 issue, our magazine will be named Sales & Marketing Management, a brand that dates back nearly 100 years and is widely recognized as the leading business-to-business magazine covering the sales and marketing field.

It's an exciting change for us that will allow for broader coverage of the daily tasks that you're tackling. We'll enhance our coverage of training, as well as the technology that companies can use to streamline their sales and marketing processes, which are increasingly integrated.

At the same time, certain SalesForceXP touches that we've received compliments for over the years won't go away. We'll continue to produce our quick-read format and focus on bringing you pertinent insights that can be implemented immediately to impact change. We'll also keep our eyes out for cutting-edge ways to keep sales and marketing teams engaged, and we'll write about the most creative methods for rewarding your teams' successes.

It's an exciting step that blends the best of two magazines into one. In that sense, our transition to the Sales & Marketing Management brand is truly proof that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Happy holidays! We'll see you next year under a new name.