LoopNet Uses Distribution Agreements to Build its Brand

LoopNet, an online commercial real estate marketplace, last month announced that it has signed distribution agreements with American City Business Journals and GlobeSt.com. The deal calls for LoopNet to electronically deliver commercial property listings to the visitors of these partners' websites. LoopNet members are positioned to benefit from the additional exposure these placements will provide.

American City Business Journals publishes a portfolio of weekly business newspapers and the alliance with LoopNet will include for-sale and for-lease listings in all geographic areas covered by BizJournals.com and BizSpace.com. LoopNet and BizJournals.com will also participate in some information-sharing programs, including news content from BizJournals and commercial property research from LoopNet. BizJournals.com content will appear in the LoopNews email newsletter, which serves a readership of more than 650,000 opt-in LoopNet members. GlobeSt.com is an online national news service that serves the commercial real estate industry. Its alliance with LoopNet includes for-sale listings across the U.S. LoopNet will also use the GlobeSt.com as a brand-building forum.

This is definitely a win-win situation for all of the companies involved. LoopNet, American City Business Journals and GlobeSt.com will all benefit from the additional exposure this distribution agreement affords. LoopNet will be able to widen the net for LoopNet members who post the property listings; these members wouldn't otherwise get their listings in front of visitors to the BizJournals.com, BizSpace.com and GlobeSt.com sites.

Some of the smartest data publishers have discovered that distributing some or all of their content through third parties is an effective way in which to get additional visibility. Oftentimes, these third parties have extremely valuable customers who are unaware of a particular publisher's offerings, but they are promising prospects. If those customers value the relationship with that third party, there's a good chance they'll welcome a new relationship with you, the data publisher. Sometimes a subtle introduction is all it takes.

If you're considering looking for distribution partners for your content, it shouldn't be too difficult a sell. Emphasize the fact that they will get access to very valuable and relevant content that will only bolster the appeal and value of their own offerings. It will also help them bring in new customers as well.

IMS Health and Verispan Claim Legal Victory

IMS Health and Verispan recently secured a victory when a federal judge in New Hampshire ruled that a state law banning the commercial use of provider-identifiable information was unconstitutional. The health information companies jointly filed a suit to prevent the state from enforcing the statute. New Hampshire had been the only state to pass such a law.

It seemed like IMS and Verispan had a lot more supporters than detractors. Some of the entities that submitted Amicus Briefs in support of the companies were the Coalition for Healthcare Communication, the Washington Legal Foundation, the National Alliance for Health Information Technology, Surescripts, the eHealth Initiative, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and Wolters Kluwer Health. Perhaps that helped the judge in this case make the ruling he eventually did.

There's no question that the executives at both IMS and Verispan are relieved that this battle is over and they will be able to continue to do business as they always have. This serves as confirmation that the companies provide a valued service for the entire healthcare industry-physicians and patients.

Thomson Financial Launches Credit Analysis Tool

Thomson Financial, a unit of publishing giant The Thomson Corp., last week launched Thomson Credit Analysis. The new tool will be integrated into the Thomson ONE platform, which combines Thomson Datastream's encyclopedic databases with Thomson Financial's real-time market information. Thomson touts the new Credit Analysis offering as an "end-to-end workflow package" geared toward credit analysts, risk managers and multi-asset fund managers.

Thomson Credit Analysis enables users to view available bonds, credit default swaps and indices. With a listing of potential investments, they can find the terms and conditions of a particular bond and the credit ratios of its issuer. In addition to the screening tool and bond overview page, the new product also contains analytical and chart tools (scatter plots, maturity profiles and yield curves), fixed income calculators as well as European government and corporate bond prices from Thomson TradeWeb.

Again, Thomson is at the forefront of the latest trends. In this case, it's workflow integration. One reason Thomson is such a successful publishing house is that it reacts so effectively to market trends. Customers want the tools they need to accomplish their everyday tasks right at their fingertips (and the desktops) and that's exactly what Thomson provides. They don't need to search far for a solution, or solutions, for that matter. Thomson also makes sure its own products are fully integrated to bolster their effectiveness and the efficiency of the customers who use them. Note how Thomson Credit Analysis was built to blend into both Thomson ONE and Thomson TradeWeb. With every click of the mouse, users are reminded of the value their content and service provider brings to their office--and the financial marketplace.

PublicRoutes.com Expands Reach

PublicRoutes.com, an international directions-based Web resource, has expanded its geographic offerings to help users navigate public transportation in the Houston metropolitan area. The service improves on the current Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) Trip Planner by helping individuals who are traveling in this region. Working with the area's major transportation providers, PublicRoutes.com has incorporated advanced algorithms and GIS technology to create maps and directions using public transportation.

Users can easily get directions to local tourist attractions and any other destinations, as PublicRoutes.com takes into account which mode of transportation they are using (from public trains to bus). The service is free. In addition, the site offers local guides which are actually directories of local businesses and vendors that enable users to quickly create maps and directions to and from these establishments. PublicRoutes.com also offers its directions in 14 different languages. MyPublicRoute provides a more efficient and personalized experience for users by remembering previous locations entered by a user. Utilizing Travelocity technology, PublicRoutes.com also enables visitors to purchase airline tickets and make hotel reservations. Users can also access the site information on the road with PublicRoutes.com Mobile.

The timing of this product's availability couldn't be better. As gas prices continue to rise at a steady rate, people who never previously considered public transportation will possibly give it a second look. And those still filling their cars with gas want to conserve; and helping them find the most efficient routes to their destinations will be appreciated. By making itself part of a larger solution, PublicRoutes.com, which serves cities in the U.S. and UK, is certainly positioned to make an impact in today's economic climate and it will most likely continue to launch in different cities around the globe. It won't be surprising if local transportation agencies seek PublicRoutes.com out to help them build awareness and usage of their public transportation systems.

Workflow Integration Drives Evolution of IAS' SmartMenu

Innovative Aftermarket Systems (IAS) this week bolstered the functionality of SmartMenu, its sales and F&I (finance and insurance) software application, with the addition of Black Book electronic trade-in valuation. Black Book, which contains vehicle pricing data in its collection of vehicle appraisal guides, is a unit of Hearst Business Media.

Now, dealers can use the SmartMenu Trade-in Valuation Wizard to enter a trade-in VIN, mileage and vehicle options into the Black Book valuation portal and receive the market value of the vehicle almost instantly. Dealers can also receive a breakdown of a vehicle's value with mileage and installed option adjustments.

This is definitely a smart move by IAS in a world where users demand solutions that integrate into the workflow. The result is instant improvement to a product already greatly relied upon by its users and this new feature will enable them to perform these routine tasks more easily and efficiently than ever. The addition of Black Book functionality certainly makes IAS' application that much more irreplaceable to its customer base. IAS offers many more products than SmartMenu to its dealership customers. The company would be well served to form additional alliances with either Black Book or other products and services that can help IAS further integrate its offerings into the workflow of its customers.