Users spend £1bn on internet searches

Corporate users are forking out an astonishing £1bn per year on internet searches, according to the latest report from Learned Information.

The news comes as a surprise to those who have long held the belief that the culture of the internet is one of free dissemination of information.

The research group found that the European online information market is set to grow six per cent this year. Specialised business information is the most popular area for paid-for content, with that sector forecast to grow eight per cent this year. That will be closely followed by a five per cent growth in the scientific information market.

Although the trend towards fee-based content has grown this year as content providers look to boost revenues, it has already been a popular business model for several years said Katherine Allen, Event Director of Learned Information.

"There are a large number of organisations out there who have successfully sold information for the last few years, and that's a success many people are not aware of."
But the research found that while corporations are still happy to spend on online searches, they are now more discerning about where that money goes - ploughing more money this year into fewer fee-based services. Learned Information spoke to 260 corporations in France, Germany, Scandanavia and the UK.

Alun Cope-Morgan, managing director of content management firm Tridion, said that corporate users may be prepared to spend several billion a year on online information if content providers improved the efficiency of their search systems.