Infotoday Blog Archive

For a man working in the most recessed of the recessed publishing sectors–the news business–Caspar de Bono, managing director, FT Business, was particularly upbeat when we met with him in London.

It might well be the worst of times,and yet de Bono persisted in depicting the current environment as the best of times.

Economic pressures this year have caused many in the industry to reconsider what they are doing, go back to first principles, and ask such fundamental questions as who are we? and what is it that we actually do for our customers to help them be more productive and make better business decisions themselves.

Watch the video.

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Outsell projects that, overall, the information industry will grow by 3 to 4 per cent in 2010, though some sectors will continue to perform at 2009 levels or see up to 2 per cent growth over 2009.  It will be another challenging year, but better in comparison to 2009.

The news must come with a sigh of relief to many companies operating in this space, for it is an understatement to say it was not the best year for many.  Companies in the business of providing news, for example,  took a 20% beating this year, while only a couple sectors remained strong, namely healthcare information and government data.

Digital advertising grew by 8 to 10 per cent, down significantly from the classic 20% growth rate it was experiencing prior to the economy’s downfall.

Some companies see promise from emerging markets (i.e., developing countries not already to the point of being considered “advanced economies.”)  But the early results may not be indicative.   It may, in fact,  be a while yet, before the potential is realized.

In the following video interview conducted yesterday at Online Information in London, Anthea Stratigos, co-founder and CEO, Outsell, discusses these and other market conditions, predicts growth areas, and suggests strategies for companies to adopt for 2010.

Her best advice for companies?  If you’re not already in the business of providing medical information or government data, consider how you can offer something to enterprises that either helps them save money or make money, focus on creating an excellent customer experience and provide exceptional customer service.

Please watch the video.

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Rossella Proscia, Marketing Director, Gale Cengage, notes that in their partnership with Financial Times, The Economist, and The Times (of London), the company has discovered a “fortunate niche.”  By providing primary source materials to financial researchers–including digitizing and offering backfiles of key publications–they have hit the nail on the head and answered a current market need.

Watch the video to learn more about the Gale Cengage strategy.

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Gale Cengage is showing The Financial Times historical archive at its stand (#526) in London

See also:  Barb Brynko’s post, below, on the archives

The market for medical information is a bright spot in STM markets, according to Karen Abramson, President and CEO, Medical Research, Wolters Kluwer,  Though other parts of the industry may have seen a decline last year, Wolters Kluwer actually experienced growth in the health sector and projects growth going forward in 2010.

At the Online Information show, the Wolters Kluwer team hopes to meet with customers and partners and carry on discussions started a few weeks ago at the Frankfurt Book Fair, close deals and look for new business, says Andrew Richardson, Managing Director, Europe and V.P. of Business Development for Wolters Kluwer Health.

Watch the video to hear more about how vendors view conditions in libraries and why Wolters Kluwer had success in a down market.

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You might also be interested in seeing a video on the Wolters Kluwer site where Karen discusses the vertical search solutions the company is demonstrating from its stand (#512) in London.

Mary Ellen Bates is an independent information professional having one heck of a busy year.

This year’s high demand for outsourced information services, she says, may have a positive affect on the future demand for information services and information professionals in-house, once the downside economy turns up-side again.

She also comments on the future of fee-based information services and discusses the characteristics of next-gen Info Pros now entering the workforce.  Watch the video.

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It hasn’t been the worst year for information professionals working in companies.  Their down-sizing took place prior to the big recession, observes Anne Caputo (DowJones), President-Elect, SLA (a.k.a., Special Library Association, but that could change any day now, as a vote on a new name is pending.)

Market opportunities also exist, Anne says, for companies offering information services and solutions.  But money isn’t freely available for just anything.   Products need to fit a high-level corporate objective, or the costs need to be able to be passed on to clients.

The outlook for corporate information professionals?   A name change is possibly also in order.  Sadly, an MLS doesn’t cut it anymore, says Anne.  Better would be an MBA.   And if you’re smart, you’ll get yourself imbedded in a place other than the corporate library.

It’s best to hear it in her own words.  Play the video.

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Not all is bleak in this economy, at least not if you’re an independent information professional.

Marcy Phelps, president, Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), explains why the market is actually bullish for researchers like herself and other AIIP members all over the world.

Watch the first in this three-part series of videos, in which  Marydee Ojala, editor ONLINE magazine, discusses current conditions and the job outlook for Info Pros.

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This month’s issue of Information Advisor–published by Information Today–features an article on “The Best Sources for International Industry Statistics,“by editor Robert Berkman.

As a gift to our Live from London readers, Information Today, is pleased to provide a complimentary copy of the report, otherwise available only to subscribers.

The report, covers English-language sources, including online databases, market research reports, national statistics sites, international organizations, U.S. government agencies, and university portals.  A special section on “Locating Market Research Report Data on the Open Web for Free” is featured.

All-in-all, it’s a roundup of the “most fruitful, substantive,and accessible sites, sources, resources,and strategies for locating statistical global industry data.”  Download and enjoy!

Follow Bob Berkman at his Intelligent Agent blog, or on Twitter:  rberkman

Subscribe to Information Advisor.

Free Report:  http://informationadvisor.com/InternationalRoundup.pdf

EURUS, which provides employment services throughout the European Union, is sponsoring a special event tomorrow (Tuesday, December 1) on its stand (#634) at Online Information in London.

For those not in London, the one-hour event will be webcast live via the EURUS Portal, starting at 13:25 (GMT), 8:25 a.m., US EST.

The topic is:  “Europe in the Online World – A challenge or a chance for jobs and businesses?”