[Publib] BizInfo vs. ReferenceUSA database

[Houghton-Jan, Sarah]

I evaluated the two a few months ago and was sorely disappointed in the
BizInfo content.  Some things may have changed in those few months, but
at the time I evaluated it, here is what I saw.

 

Many companies simply had old and outdated information (e.g. addresses
that were 3-4 years old, CEO information even older).  For many
companies, the contact information in BizInfo only includes the CEO, not
all the other officers.  BizInfo did include credit summary information,
which was unique, but I'm not sure that this would be of interest to
most of our patrons (at a public library).  BizInfo does show the last
time the record was updated, which is a feature Reference USA should
have.  There was no indication in BizInfo of parent/child company
status.  Some things were obviously missing from the FAQ section, like
how to generate a marketing list.  Reference USA lets you download
records, while BizInfo does not.  Reference USA does offer some fields
in Custom Search that BizInfo lacks.  The lack of current content was a
big factor for me in deciding not to recommend this resource.  

 

Sarah Houghton-Jan

Information and Web Services Manager

San Mateo County Library

 

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Glenna R. Rhodes
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 11:25 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] BizInfo vs. ReferenceUSA database

 

Hi all - has anyone done a recent evaluation/comparison of ReferenceUSA
versus BizInfo (by Gale)?  I am in the midst of doing one for our
library and I would appreciate any comments about BizInfo. 

We have used RefUSA for years but now that Gale has this comparable
product I need to do a competitive evaluation between the two.  Since
Gale's pricing is being slashed every time I talk to them I want to be
sure BizInfo will really provide the same functionality and content as
RefUSA.  Thanks!

Glenna R. Rhodes
Electronic Resources Librarian
Boise Public Library
Boise, ID 83702
208-
grhodes at cityofboise.org

<http://www.gale.com/BizInfo/tour/tour.htm> 

 

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