Hoover's boosts database

Hoover's Inc. has added 2 million names to its database of professional contacts and unveiled enhancements to its site.

The business information company now boasts more than 34 million contacts from more than 26 million companies, and plans to add millions more on a quarterly basis throughout the year. Hoover's has grown its database through parent company D&B's contact list, as well as third party sources and user-generated information.

“I think the biggest change for our customers across the board is, instead of giving clients a list of contacts for a given company, we now offer many more options,” said Chris Warwick, VP of product management, Hoover's. “The next piece of it is really involving and getting into data stratification or labeling. We're now providing information in an easy-to-use, informative format but also allowing users to make decisions about the source and the type of information they want to use.”

To assist customers in working with the additional information, Hoover's has improved usability, navigation and search on the site and made it easier to find more mid- and lower-level contacts at companies — including at affiliate and subsidiary locations. It has also added a user-generated component to the site — a tool called “People Self-Listing,” which invites users to add their own profile information.

“When you think about what's happening on the Web in terms of managing a professional presence, that is becoming a responsibility for all of us, as there are more tools and ways to post yourself on the Web,” Warwick said. “Hoover's wants to open up opportunities for people to come to us as a trusted, reliable source. We're focused on making information actionable and helping business professionals to make smarter decisions in terms of lead generating, prospecting and market research.”