User-Generated Content Now on Manta

ECNext this week announced its Manta business research site is now allowing users to modify its more than 45 million company profiles. ECNext feels that Manta's content will become more robust as a result of about 4 million monthly unique visitors updating the profiles. Company owners and executives are being encouraged to update their own company information.

ECNext hopes to further engage Manta visitors in the future. According to the company, this initiative is the first in a series of new features available on Manta designed to involve visitors in the development and enhancement of the site.

This is a very interesting idea, especially during a time when user-generated content is increasing in popularity. But user-generated content also brings a unique set of problems to the table. First of all, how is ECNext planning to police the data entry conducted by visitors? How will the company ensure that contributed data is accurate data? Second, ECNext doesn't own this information, so essentially they are allowing visitors to edit third-party content. The success of this initiative hinges on ECNext's ability to control the flow of the contributed data. There is certainly the potential to make Manta a more robust source of business information; and if this initiative is successful, Manta will likely become a main source for many business professionals. However, there is a very real risk of creating a service that is anything but reliable. It's worth keeping an eye on.

Top of Mind With a Toolbar

ThomasNet.com last week launched the ThomasNet.com toolbar to make it easier for industrial professionals to access content on ThomasNet.com. Users can download the toolbar, which provides entry into hundreds of product catalogs, more than 20 million CAD drawings, as well as industry news, for free (no registration is required).

The toolbar offers a variety of features, including a supplier data button (which provides a snapshot of the capabilities of the 675, 000 suppliers indexed by 67,000 product and service classifications available on ThomasNet.com), a customizable RSS reader (so readers can consolidate news from ThomasNet's Industrial Newsroom and Industrial Market Trends blog), a notes button (that enables users to record thoughts about any of the sites visited, including the online product catalogs featured on ThomasNet.com) and a bookmarks button (where favorite sites can be saved and accessed at a later time from another computer, regardless of the toolbar being installed).

Users can customize the toolbar to add buttons that provide immediate access to ThomasNet.com's collection of CAD drawings and translate web sites from English to other desired languages. The toolbar also offers a search function, privacy protection, pop-up blocker and access to personalized pages through MyThomas.

Being top of mind with customers is the cornerstone of any customer retention strategy. You can't get more top of mind than a toolbar. It's basically a marketing tool coupled with functionality that customers will probably find more useful than obtrusive. In addition, providing quick entry to ThomasNet.com's offerings is a great idea. Customers will be more likely to utilize ThomasNet.com if it's a simple and quick process. The tool launched with a variety of features and it's probable that customer feedback will yield additional features and functionality. Other information providers should watch the evolution of this tool closely--it could be a valuable tool for them to add as well.

IHS, Jane's: A Good Combination

Technical information provider IHS increased its presence in the aerospace, defense and security space with this week's acquisition of Jane's Information Group, an information provider that services the defense industry and government markets with content, insight and analysis. It will be folded into IHS brands, including CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates). IHS issued 4,399 million shares of new IHS common stock in exchange for Jane's.

Both IHS and Jane's have strong market positions in aerospace, defense and government. IHS is known for its military and aerospace parts, standards and regulatory databases as well as decision-support tools and services. Jane's brings expertise in insight and analysis.

This is certainly a smart move by IHS, which noted in a company release announcing the deal its intention to strengthen its proprietary content and decision-support tool offerings. By acquiring Jane's, IHS has taken ownership of an organization with a rich history and strong position in the marketplace. Combined, IHS and Jane's will create an even more powerful provider of aerospace, defense and security solutions for its customers seeking that ever important combination of content, insight and analysis. Jane's will definitely integrate smoothly into IHS's operations as it helps the company become a more complete solutions provider within these industries.

A Formidable Social Networking Player?

Competition in the social networking space just got a bit more intense. Through a partnership with ZoomInfo, Germany-based social networking site now boasts a network larger than LinkedIn. The partnership enables Xing members to access basic information from ZoomInfo's database of 36 million business profiles, which is considerably larger than LinkedIn's membership of 11 million.

For $5 a month, Xing members can upgrade to a premium account to be able to contact ZoomInfo people they don't already share a network with. The premium account status also enables them to update their profiles on ZoomInfo. This is similar to LinkedIn, which offers a premium membership to people who want to directly contact people outside of their network.

Your network is only as good as your contact information. Where LinkedIn is strong is in the accuracy of its information. It comes directly from the sources and individuals who want to take full advantage of the networking site's ability to connect people religiously update their profiles. Through this recently announced alliance, Xing is relying on content from ZoomInfo to power much of its network, which may or may not be a good idea. ZoomInfo is certainly good at what it does--culling information from a variety of Web sources to create profiles of business professionals. However, that information is only as good as its original sources. And sometimes those sources just don't have the most up-to-date information--a key factor when business professionals are seeking to connect with each other.

So while Xing can now proclaim to have a larger network, it must remember that quantity doesn't equal quality. If anything, LinkedIn will be motivated to continue to bolster its offerings as other organizations likely attempt to take a piece of the increasingly popular social networking pie.

Hoover's Launches ConnectMail

Hoover's this week launched ConnectMail, a prospecting tool that helps Hoover's users quickly identify and connect with decision-making prospects. ConnectMail is accessible through links next to the names of more than 19 million U.S. and Canadian executives included on Hoover's fact sheets, people search results, executive bios and build a list results.

Here's how it works: When users find a prospect's name on Hoover's, they click the "send e-mail" icon next to the contact's name. From there, they are directed to the ConnectMail pop-up window where they compose a message. Clicking "send" triggers ConnectMail to begin searching for the prospect's e-mail address. The sent message will contain the user's return address while the prospect receives the e-mail as if it was delivered from the user's company e-mail system. When ConnectMail delivers the message, the user receives a validation and the recipient's correct address.

According to Hoover's, users can expect more than an 80 percent success rate from ConnectMail if the correct information is entered and the recipient is currently employed by a target U.S. or Canada-based company. The ConnectMail archives, which can be accessed through the My Hoover's section, enables users to track their sent e-mails and monitor those that were successfully delivered.

Hoover's continuously launches new products and services designed to help sales professionals more effectively reach the best prospects. And ConnectMail is just another innovative service likely to be embraced by Hoover's users. How often does a sales rep want to reach out to a decision maker via e-mail, but doesn't have his or her e-mail address? Users count on Hoover's to provide them with the contact and background information to make the most targeted and successful connections and ConnectMail is just another way in which users can accomplish their goals.

What's also impressive about this new service is that while it makes these e-mail addresses available to users, it accomplishes this goal while minimizing the chances for theft and abuse. This is a very interesting model and it's certainly not surprising that Hoover's brought it to the marketplace. It certainly seems like a concept with a lot of staying power. Look for other providers to consider implementing a similar service.