For a long time, cutting edge industry reports and company research provided by world renown financial service firms was not available to the general public. Only a select group of wealthy individuals and major financial institutions that were paying clients of the firms could utilize this valuable information. The Internet has changed this and now, anyone can have free access to reports and research written by some of the leading minds in the industry. This includes Mary Meeker, George Gilder and Clayton Christensen.

While the financial service firms intend for the information to be used as part of the investment decision process, savvy readers can also use it to grow their own high tech companies. You can use the information provided by the financial service firms for market research, to monitor and keep up with your particular industry, for competitive analysis, strategic planning and other areas of business planning, development and marketing.

Most financial service companies have web sites that provide certain information but for now, Enable will mention two of the best. Both provide excellent and valuable information for free. The first site is Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and the second - which provides a free 30-day trial period is Merrill Lynch.

Go to the site (www.msdw.com), and click on "Research" in the upper right hand corner. You will then see exactly what I'm talking about. One click gives you access - absolutely for free - to the following: a Global Economic Forum, Global Strategy Bulletin, U.S. Strategist Commentary, and the latest news and research in the technology and Internet sectors. By clicking on Technology News we get a wealth of reports, stretching all the way back to 1995.

Check out all of the reports, especially the B2B report - it is an unbelievable asset. In the report, Mary Meeker and others tell you inter alia that, "the Internet has finally arrived for the Business-to-Business market. The infrastructure has been built, companies are interested, and the economic environment is robust. Technology is changing from a cost of doing business to a way of doing business. Centralized markets for B2B commerce over the Internet will create unprecedented levels of market transparency and lower the cost of procurement. Companies will use these marketplaces as 'e-hubs' to synchronize operations with their demand and supply chains. Partnering and specialization - two trends e-hubs will facilitate - will become important drivers of the new economy. We are optimistic about B2B business opportunities, but investors must be selective: Many B2B companies and business ideas may not succeed."

In addition to the reports, MSDW also provides free web casts. Check out the web cast of three members of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Internet research team - Jeffrey Camp, Mary Meeker, and Charles Phillips. Their web cast highlights the trends they expect to shape the Internet space in the coming year.

Merrill Lynch

This site (www.askmerrill.com) also provides excellent information, but you must sign up for a 30-day free trial. Unlike MSDW, you have to work a little to get the information this site provides.

After you register, log in and then go to the right side where you see "Research by Quote". If you want information on the cellular or wireless industry type in the stock symbol of a company in the industry - for example Nokia. The symbol is NOK and if you did not know, you can look it up in the same place. After clicking on "Research by Symbol" you will be given a menu of reports both on Nokia and on the industry itself.

I have downloaded several of the reports. One, entitled GSM 2000 - The Industry Begins to Unfold provides a slew of information that is a must read for anyone in the industry. Another report called Wireless Equipment - a Wireless Scorecard provides incredible data via charts and graphs on the industry.

Two highly didactic reports by industry experts are also available for download. Called Merrill Lynch Techtopia 2000, they deal with two leading Tech Thinkers: George Gilder & Clayton Christensen. The reports are visionary and take you to a much higher level of strategic thinking.

Thanks to the Internet, the highest-level research and other information is available freely from leading strategists, analysts and thinkers. The information will enable you to grow your companies faster and smarter. Take advantage of it.

Published by Israel's Business Arena on May 23, 2000.