Rising from the Ashes: "Economic-research firm Economy.com Inc. is using the Internet’s reach to expand beyond its traditional base of clients in Fortune 500 companies. The 70-person firm is reeling in foreign central banks, smaller businesses such as money managers, consumers, and charities—even a church. How? The Internet has let Economy.com offer customized reports that cost a fraction of what reports used to cost."

While the transition from free to fee has been making headlines, another less visible trend has nonetheless appeared: the move from expensive to cheap. Companies such as Hoover's or Economy.com have been able to introduce new digital formats to accommodate different needs. These "slicing and dicing" tactics work both for publishers who can repurpose their existing content in new ways, and for customers who benefit from information products more targeted to their needs. This translates as more usable products (i.e. a digital database is likely to be easier to search and browse than bulky bound reports) at lower price tags. All is not bad in the fee-based world after all!