According to CRIBIS, the SkyMinder.com service provides menu-driven access to complete and in-depth business and financial information on millions of public and private companies and industries worldwide from the most reliable information providers. The service is billed as quick, easy, comprehensive, and a "one-stop business information solution to help you make stronger and better decisions." Information will be available on a transactional basis, with payment by credit card or through deposit accounts. According to Eve Sawicki, sales and marketing director for CRIBIS, pricing has not been set but will probably range between $2 for a news article and $200 for a complete industry report and full articles. She said that their target customers are business professionals in all areas, from individuals to small and large corporate accounts.

She noted that there was a "fantastic response" from those visiting the company's booth in the exhibit hall at NOM. Potential customers from two-person consulting firms were excited about the opportunity to pay as the information was needed. Very large corporate customers mentioned that it would provide them with a good alternative and supplemental resource to their subscription services. Libraries looking for only all-you-can-eat subscriptions would probably not be interested, though if they can accommodate deposit accounts, they could pay for just specific information needs. Sawicki said they do not plan to add subscription options.

Sawicki emphasized that what sets the SkyMinder.com service apart from other services is its comprehensive European content, with registrations by public and private companies (through an agreement with Eurogate), and the pay-per-view option. The company has been busy talking with information providers, and already has a respectable list of partners supplying content, including Hoover's, Dun & Bradstreet, Market Guide, and Responsive Database Services. Some of the international suppliers include GBI (Germany and Western Europe coverage), Graham & Whiteside, Jordan's (covering companies in the U.K.), and TransData Corp. (covering Australian and Asian companies). The service will reportedly include information on 8 million European companies and about 10 million U.S. public and private companies, with the core data coming from the D&B U.S. Marketing Database.

This is a list of the content that will be provided, according to the service's Web site:

• Company information: Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, URL, ticker symbol, company status, legal data, overview, history, SIC or NACE codes, list of officers, sales, number of employees, net income, corporate family, main competitors, and outlook of company industry
• Financial company data: Balance sheet, income statement, cash flow (quarterly and annual), SEC filings, ratios, comparisons, shareholders, stock reports, analyst recommendations, and credit information
• Industry information: Industry profile, industry trends, industry features, key ratios and statistics, comparative company analyses, revenues, net income, cash flow analysis, ratios, equity ratios, and per share data
• Executive profiles: List of executives and executive biographies
• News: Historical and real-time news, and press releases from more than 2,000 business sources worldwide
• Public records: Bankruptcies, liens, court, judgments, and suits
• Market research: Financial forecasts, market share, competitive analysis, evaluation of economic climates, and identification of key players
• Tables: Tabular data on companies, industries, products, countries, and markets from more than 1,000 publications, privately published statistical annuals, trade associations, government agencies, and investment research groups

CRIBIS Corp. is based in Tampa, Florida. For more information, call 813/281-9375, send e-mail to infocribis@cribis.com, or visit the company's Web site at http://www.cribis.com.