Hoover’s Online Launches Four New Sites in Europe

[London, ENGLAND] Hoover’s Online has this week launched four
new Web sites in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, each one
providing company information in local languages.

Hoover’s Online Europe Ltd. is a subsidiary of U.S. business
research specialist Hoover’s Inc., whose investors include
Time Warner, Media General and NBC. The new sites are
part of a planned global expansion to provide what it
calls “accurate, objective and timely company information”
to users worldwide.

In Europe, Hoover’s Online has its headquarters in the
U.K., where it is accessible on www.hoovers.co.uk. The
European sites not only provide information on local
companies but give access to the full database of more
than 65,000 companies around the world.

Patrick Spain, chief executive of Hoover’s Inc., said
the new sites were part of his company’s strategy to
provide businesspeople with information to help them
do their jobs.

“Now we can offer them information about companies in
their own country, in their own language, as well as
improving access to the wealth of information in Hoover’s
Online’s global database,” said Spain.

Hoover’s has an editorial team based in the U.K. and
around twenty other writers and researchers in Europe.
It aims to add features such as local news in each market
during the course of 2001.

Gehan Talwatte, managing director, Hoover’s Online Europe,
said the expansion would also enable Hoover’s to extend
its network of partners, adding to a line-up that includes
BreakingViews, eCountries, Hemscott.NET and London Business
School.

As well as providing editorial, the Hoover’s team in
Europe will be looking to increase enterprise subscription
sales and advertising sales in each country, making
the operation self-sufficient.

Resources available from Hoover’s Online include a
directory of companies, online “company capsules” with
summary information, and in-depth company profiles.