The CUSIP Service Bureau (CSB) this week launched its CSB-ISIN Look-up Service, a new offering that provides unique CUSIP-based International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) identifiers for more than 3.6 million securities and their issuers. The CSB launched the new service in response to clients who need to access these identifiers in real time. (Standard & Poor’s, a unit of McGraw-Hill runs the CSB for the American Bankers Association).
Users can now search the CUSIP-ISIN database to validate these ISINs after accepting a one-time click-through agreement. They can also use the service for free—at least for now. The cost-recovery fee is being waived for the rest of 2007 as the company gauges user interest.
This was a necessary next step for the CSB. Users' demand for access to real-time information continues to grow. In order to remain relevant to customers, service providers must provide content in real time and make it easily accessible. This new look-up service is designed to accomplish these goals. While the CSB doesn’t seem absolutely convinced (since they're letting users test drive it for free), it's more than likely they will be soon. Users should enjoy the free access while they can.