Windows IT Pro conducted its 75-question Windows IT Pro Industry Survey 2004 from August 10 through August 24, 2004. We sent email invitations to 120,000 IT pros who had opted to receive information from the magazine, and we promoted the survey in all our UPDATE email newsletters. A second email message was sent August 18, 2004, to nonrespondents of the opt-in list. The magazine offered two $500 (US) American Express gift certificates as an incentive to participate in the survey. A total of 2722 IT pros provided data by the survey's close date.
Windows IT Pro developed the survey questions, and TechSurveys.com, the research arm of Butterflies & Castles, designed and conducted the Web-based survey. Butterflies & Castles is a marketing communications company based in Tenafly, New Jersey, that offers research, strategic planning, and other marketing-related services to technology vendors and publishers. Company president, Jay McSherry, provided help and advice throughout the data-collection and analysis processes.