Profound, Inc. Partners with Microsoft to Provide On-line Business Information

Strategic Insights -

Profound, Inc., a leading provider of business information services, has announced a significant partnership with Microsoft Corp. to offer on-line business information through Microsoft Network (MSN). This collaboration is expected to revolutionize the use of on-line services in the commercial sector, with millions of Windows 95 users anticipated to access MSN shortly after its launch on August 24. The partnership will enable MSN customers to access Profound's extensive database of over 4,000 newspapers, magazines, journals, and newswires, as well as 40,000 full-text market research reports, broker research, and financial reports on over 4 million companies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Profound, Inc. has partnered with Microsoft Corp. to provide on-line business information through Microsoft Network (MSN).
  • The partnership will expand the commercial use of on-line services, leveraging Profound's database of 4,000+ newspapers, magazines, and newswires, and 40,000+ full-text market research reports.
  • The Profound on-line service targets business professionals who need timely business information but find traditional databases too expensive or complex.
  • The service includes financial reports on over 4 million companies, branch research from leading financial services providers, and free market, country, and company overviews.
  • Profound's proprietary InfoSort technology enables simultaneous search of millions of documents in seconds, utilizing a standard search language to standardize search terms.
  • The Profound on-line service is the first to seamlessly integrate Adobe Systems Acrobat technology, allowing users to view, sort, and print retrieved documents as exact replicas of their published originals.
  • The partnership is expected to benefit MSN customers, with access to a vast and comprehensive source of on-line business information.

Statistics:

  • Over 4,000 newspapers, magazines, journals, and newswires representing 190 countries are available through the Profound on-line service.
  • More than 40,000 full-text market research reports covering 500 market sectors are included in the Profound database.
  • Financial reports on over 4 million companies are available through the service.
  • Over 4,600 U.S. companies have Standard & Poor's stock reports available through the Profound on-line service.
  • The Profound service includes continually updated commodity, equity, and foreign exchange quotations from the world's leading exchanges.

Sources:

  • Profound, Inc. news announcement (August 21, 1995)
  • Microsoft Corp. press release (August 21, 1995)