| J Routledge guides you through the world of | | | | broaden the geography. Airbus was now |
| marine directory publishing. Many aviation | | | | established as a European aircraft |
| "wanna be"directories have become out-of-date | | | | manufacturer to rival Boeing, so there was a |
| overnight .Learn how certain smart publishers | | | | demand for accurate databases of European |
| have embraced the worldwide web and utilised | | | | suppliers. All of the companies participating |
| fast changing search technology to the | | | | in the database wanted to sell their wares |
| benefit of the aviation and aerospace | | | | worldwide. |
| community at: | | | | |
| | | | Aircraft manufacturers prior to this period |
| We started "Aero Index" in 1993 as a | | | | had been decreasing in number and those that |
| reference book, a standard work of reference | | | | were most successful were beginning to use |
| for the aircraft, airline, avionics and MRO | | | | computer technology to "manage" supplier |
| maintenance repair and overhaul industries. | | | | bases... increased emphasis on |
| Initially, we limited our geographical | | | | competitiveness leading to tighter and |
| coverage to Europe. Airline buyers, aircraft | | | | tighter constriction of the industry and its |
| designers, spares and parts buyers, vendors | | | | sub-contractors, both civil and military, |
| and dealers all used it to source the nuts | | | | fixed wing and rotary. |
| and bolts of aircraft. It was a list of | | | | |
| contact names and addresses of suppliers and | | | | There was now a competitor for Aero Index, |
| subcontractors, in both alphabetical order | | | | the book... the world wide web was beginning |
| and classified order (by product or service). | | | | to become established as a source of the same |
| Its currency was its accuracy and its | | | | information. So we started and to make the |
| comprehensiveness. Convenience for AOG | | | | content of the directory available free of |
| services was also an asset. | | | | charge on the web, no membership, no |
| | | | subscription. Our revenue would be derived |
| Up to that point we were relying on companies | | | | from advertising and web links. There were no |
| updating their information by returning our | | | | geographical restrictions on the web. Most |
| postal mailings. This was always going to be | | | | importantly, it provided us with the tool we |
| a challenge because, of course, if they had | | | | needed for updating and maintaining our data. |
| changed address, they might not get our | | | | |
| mailing. The rate of return was poor, one in | | | | The next chapter in this story we know |
| a hundred, we needed to find a better way. | | | | already, making the electronic directory |
| The world wide web came along at exactly the | | | | fully portable on cd-rom.. but what of the |
| right time for us. When buying our book, our | | | | future? ... Palm-top computers fully equipped |
| customers were paying for up-to-date | | | | to surf the web, giving us the opportunity to |
| information. Gathering and verifying | | | | provide information instantly to the |
| information was extremely labour intensive. | | | | boardroom table or the meeting room, wherever |
| We needed all the help we could get with | | | | that might be....developing the technical |
| this. | | | | content of the database to allow the |
| | | | researcher to search by part number. |
| For a "global" industry, our next goal was to | | | | |