Information Providers look East as double-digit Annual Sales Growth Continues in the Asia Pacific Business Information Market

As business information markets in North America and Europe reach maturity, providers and vendors are looking to emerging markets to drive growth. The Asia Pacific information market is far from mature so it offers real opportunities for growth, for both indigenous players and those global players moving into the region.

The Asia Pacific Business Information Market 2008, a new report from IRN Research (published in association with Tai-Pan Research) values the Asia Pacific market at US$3.4bn. In 2007, business information sales in this regional market increased by an estimated 11.8% and stronger double-digit sales growth is forecast for the next two years.

Estimates of sales by leading country markets suggest that the Japanese market is by far the largest followed by India and Korea. While the Chinese market is growing considerably it has yet to reach the size of the above country markets primarily due to a reluctance to spend heavily on external information services, price weaknesses, and some restrictions on the use of non-Chinese services in the country.

The report includes profiles of 18 global players and 32 local players operating in the region. The usual model for most global information companies moving into the market has been to establish direct operations in the larger markets in the region but to set up partnership or similar deals with local suppliers in smaller markets and those markets more difficult to penetrate. The local players gain additional content and distribution opportunities for their content outside the Asia Pacific region while the global players add local content and grab an immediate slice of a national market.

While the overall market is growing significantly, the major obstacles to growth are: a reluctance amongst many information users to use external information services extensively and to commit a considerable budget to these services; downward pressures on service prices; a lack of transparency in corporate and official sectors in some countries limiting the amount and quality of information available although this is beginning to slowly change.
Overall, future market influences in the region are very positive although there may be some restraints on growth in the short term as the global financial crisis bites. In the longer term, many global information providers plan to increase their presence in the area while indigenous suppliers continue to improve the quality of their information offerings and increase their added-value services. Broader factors such as economic growth, more East-West trade, a stronger world influence for Asian financial markets, and increased transparency in business and government should all help to boost sales.

The Asia Pacific Business Information Market 2008 includes:

• A Market Overview focusing on economic and business trends in the region, and the regional business information market size and trends.
• Market Reviews of business information markets in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, & Singapore with profiles of key players, recent developments.
• Profiles of key players operating across the region including operations & strategies of global information businesses in the region and indigenous players.
• Future Trends including an assessment of key market drivers and obstacles.
• An Appendix listing all key providers in the region and contact details.

Report coverage includes real-time information services, predominantly covering information on traded equities and commodities, and historical/near real-time information services led by company financial and credit information, and also covering company directories, business and industry news, legal tax and regulatory information (LTR), published market research, and economic and country data. Australasia is excluded but India is included.

The full report, The Asia Pacific Business Information Market 2008, is available directly from IRN Research, priced at £475/€700/$950.

IRN Research
Established in 1991 in the UK, IRN Research is a full-service market research consultancy and a member of the Market Research Society (MRS). IRN Research has a particular focus on the information industry offering a range of bespoke research services, on an ad-hoc and continuous basis, to suppliers to the European information industry. For further information contact David Mort on +44(0)24 7642 1821 or dmort@irn-research.com .

IRN Research, Concorde House, Trinity Park, Solihull, Birmingham, B37 7UQ, United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0)121 635 5210, Fax: +44(0)121 635 5211
URL: www.irn-research.com

Tai-Pan Research
Established by Jane Macoustra, Tai-Pan Research offers information consultancy and research services to large corporations, investment banks, public authorities, and law firms. Now based in the UK, Jane worked for a number of years in Hong Kong where she gained experience of Asia Pacific markets.

For further information contact Jane Macoustra at taipan.research@gmail.com .