WHITAKER ASSOCIATES
Washington, DC
3 October 2000

The first European Directory Marketplace (EDM) conference will be held in London, England, on 12-13 February 2001. The conference will focus on the array of new market opportunities and profitable business ventures -- both private and collaborative – being driven by today’s increased international commerce, dramatically improved technological capabilities, universal Internet access to directory information databases, and the rapidly changing regulatory environment.

Stuart M. Whitaker, conference organizer and president of Whitaker Associates (USA), noted that the development and marketing of efficient, technology-supported directories, sharing of directory databases, and universal, low-cost directory access -- all critical elements to the continued economic development of Europe – will be featured conference topics.

Conduit plc, IBM, and Nortel Networks are among several leading corporations already lined up as Gold Sponsors. INFONXX, Philips Speech Processing, varetis AG, and VoltDelta have signed on as Silver Sponsors.

Whitaker noted that the European Commission (EC) continues to lead the way toward a more competitive marketplace with directives concerning directory use and control. "However, the fifteen EC member nations, prospective-member nations, and other European nations are in varying degrees of compliance with these directives."

He pointed out that competition in the directory marketplace already has increased dramatically. Directory-centric firms including telegate AG, Conduit plc, and Sonera have begun staking their claims to various niche markets. Meanwhile, incumbent European telecommunication and directory providers are having to evaluate new strategies to succeed in the changing marketplace.

Featured conference speakers and panelists – drawn from telecom, government and regulatory organizations -- will explore vital issues associated with directory database technologies, the changing regulatory environment, and the increasing number of profitable opportunities being driven by these advances.

Key panel speakers include: Günther Baierl, president and CEO of varetis; Daniel L. Pearce, chairman and CEO, Excell Global Services, International Division; Robert Pines, Co-Founder and CEO of INFONXX Inc.; and Liam Young, managing director of Conduit.

Led by the European Union, Europe has made development of the information sector a key component of its efforts to increase the welfare of all its citizens. The EC has targeted the development of a pan-European directory and other information services as a critical element to Europe’s economic development.

Whitaker notes that, until recently, separate markets have existed for directory inquiries (DQ) and directories themselves. Regulatory changes, such as the movement to adopt competitive 118xx dialing patterns, and technological developments – such as

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and voice recognition – are all contributing to the convergence of these formerly separate markets. He noted that the conference will focus on these factors and future plans for this changing market.

The historic separation between voice DQ service, print directories, personal directories and, more recently, Internet directories, are being modified by new technologies and new regulatory approaches. As these markets converge, industry participants are responding, all pursuing a wide variety of competitive strategies – from advertising-based revenue models to user-based models to hybrid approaches.

Whitaker pointed out that with the proliferation of PCs, the Internet, WAP, and other technologies, plus regulatory changes, customers throughout Europe have a greater selection of telecom, information, and / or service providers. The conference will focus on customer issues, including what the customer is seeking, what he/she is willing to pay, and how to attract new customers.

Historically, traditional DQ service was limited to the delivery of telephone numbers via live operators. New competitive entrants to the marketplace have started introducing voice portals offering significantly different menus of services and are operating on different business models unencumbered by imbedded cost structures and historic precedents.

Traditional Directory Inquiry (DQ) service providers, many of whom are represented by the association of European Interworking of Directory Inquiry Service (EIDQ), are facing significant challenges from alternative information sources. The conference will include updates on EIDQ’s initiatives to meet competition and / or at least provide a level-playing field through new protocols and standards.

Speakers and panels will also provide an overview of the current US directory market. They will focus on new developments and offerings, along with new industry restructuring proposals currently being considered in the states.

Whitaker pointed out that the quality of the companies signing on as Gold and Silver sponsors indicated the importance and timeliness of the conference.

• Conduit’s core business is telephone directory assistance. The company currently operates call centres in Dublin, Ireland and Vienna, Austria, and provides directory assistance services to the UK, Ireland, Switzerland and Austria. Conduit plc was listed on the Frankfurt Neuer Markt on 30 June, 2000.

• IBM’s Information Services eXtended (ISX) provides speed and reliability for 24/7 telecom call centers, fully integrated voice technology, and supports multiple options for non-traditional access. This includes LDAP, WAP, SMS, and tools for building custom access. ISX now handles a broad range of enhanced content for new services, such as paper and fax numbers, email addresses, business searches by category, and even movie listings and transport schedules.

• Nortel Networks is a global Internet and communications leader with capabilities spanning Optical, Wireless, Local Internet and eBusiness. Today, Nortel Networks is creating a high-performance Internet that is more reliable and faster than ever before. It is redefining the economics and quality of networking and the Internet, promising a new era of collaboration, communications and commerce.

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