Publishing, Information Industry, and Information Management
  • The Research and Advisory Model Mirrors Turbulent EconomyThis report analyzes data from Outsell's latest annual end-user study gauging budgets, value proposition, and comparative value of the products that fall under the research and advisory business model. This model is essentially a subscription that includes written materials, databases, and maybe an event seat, but its primary differentiator is that subscribers have direct access to communicate with analysts. In 2006 and 2007, the model was doing well in spite of competition from free sources on the web. However, this year 44% of buyers indicated an average budget reduction of 25% for research and advisory services, and there is a perception that their value has diminished. It is too soon to tell whether this is just an ebbing tide that will pick up again or whether fundamental structural issues are surfacing.
  • Tech Tune-up Tips for Tough TimesTechnology represents a significant expenditure for most modern publishers and information providers. When times are tough it is easier for business executives to look at their technology organizations as money-sucking sinkholes than as engines of growth. However, we would counsel against this view. In Outsell's opinion, now is a good opportunity for publishing executives to step back and look hard at their technology organizations: the people, processes, and technologies that fuel the development and management of digital products of all stripes. This report is a primer for executives on how to view and better manage their technology organizations within the context of their business.
  • Infotrieve: A Case Study in Market Alignment and Positioning for GrowthInfotrieve, with roots in document delivery, has recently undergone a significant transformation that has put it on a new path for success. From the company's keen understanding of its own target market to offerings that take advantage of its customers' focus on operational excellence, Infotrieve embodies all five themes that make up Outsell's key mantra for the information industry in 2009: "No guts, no glory." While the company's transformation is still in the early stages, it is already clear that Infotrieve is doing the right things to position itself well for future growth.
  • Workflow: Information’s New Field of Dreams?Since the launch of the IBM PC in 1981, when computing power came out of the air-conditioned closet and onto the desktop, content providers (aka "publishers" or "information service providers") have wondered and philosophized about the contribution of their content to the working lives of business and professional people. This report examines the current "workflow solutions" landscape, still in its very early stages, and scenarios for workflow-solution evolution and adoption. It emphasizes the importance for content providers of analyzing customer needs as opposed to simply publishing information and hoping "they will come" a la Field of Dreams.
  • Social Media in STM Part 2: Social Publishing – Usage and AbusageThis report focuses on social publishing behaviors and tools, such as wikis and blogs, which empower all STM professionals to create and share content free and without publisher input. It follows on from Outsell's report "Social Media in STM Part 1: Social Networking" (December 16, 2008), which examined the social networking, community sites, and venues for social media in STM. This report "Part 2" offers a comprehensive study of the usage patterns of social publishing tools. It looks at the new workflow practices that are beginning to emerge and provides essential insight and recommendations about the opportunities and challenges social publishing creates for scholarly and commercial publishers in STM.
  • ANGEL Learning: A Case Study in Winning through Customer ServiceANGEL Learning is an example of a product company that truly understands service. It is a global company that develops and markets web-based teaching and learning tools for sale to institutions and organizations. ANGEL understands its users and target markets and knows what matters to them, and it is winning new accounts away from currently installed suppliers, even in this competitive market and this economy. This report takes an in-depth look at ANGEL Learning and presents it as an example for other companies to compare how they are providing products and services, particularly in the current economy.
  • MarketTools: Case Study on Innovation and Growth in the Market Research IndustryMarketTools is a private, technology-based, full-service market research firm located in the San Francisco Bay area. It has demonstrated strong revenue growth and a pioneering and innovative culture since its founding in 1997; an unusual blend in the often staid market research industry. This report profiles MarketTools, one of Outsell's "30 to Watch" in the information industry. It provides a good example of how technology enables market research companies to innovate while scaling in multiple target markets, and shows how a software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based subscription model approach to market research fills a market need for end-user clients and provides a scalable business model for the company.
  • Information Professionals and Enterprise Search: Getting StartedThis report covers critical issues for organizations considering enterprise search and provides tips and best practices for implementing an enterprise search capability. The ability to efficiently find information residing within an organization is one of the ultimate goals of information management (IM) functions, knowledge managers, records managers, IT departments, and business units. The return on investment for successful enterprise search is obvious, given end-users' astounding (and rising) search failure rates and time spent on information tasks.
  • E-books Market Size, Share & Forecast ReportThe e-books market seems to have been poised for greatness for many years, although the time has never been quite right. The launches of two popular handheld devices in the past two years (the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle) as well as the availability of applications to read e-books on devices like the iPod Touch and the iPhone have thrust e-books back into the spotlight, re-igniting interest from consumers, business users, students, and publishers. While technology and content issues remain, e-books have now taken their rightful place as an important strategic building block in many publishers' digital strategies, and account for an estimated 2.9% of the US book market.
  • Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft Battle It Out for More than Search OnlineThis report makes a case for why content publishers need to carefully track Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft (GYM). It updates our report, "Bulking Up At the GYM: How Publishers and Information Providers Can Work with Google, Yahoo!, and MSN" (February 2, 2006). At that time, Google was breaking away from the pack, driven entirely by its success with search. As the run on web search continues to slow, we make a case that the next battleground will be in display advertising. This report examines all three players again to determine who is best positioned for this area of growth so that content providers know what to expect and how to partner with each company as the next opportunity unfolds.
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