When co-founders Steve Goldstein and
Michael Angle teamed up to create Data Downlink Corporation in 1996,
they based their company around what was then a hot business
technology: Excel spreadsheets. The company has come a long way since
then, with a new name—Alacra, Inc.—and has stayed at the forefront as a
model of technological innovation and thoughtful customer service.
CEO
Goldstein—who was an early exec blogger—sums up his company's mission
succinctly: "We're in the business of aggregating content and
repackaging it." What sets Alacra apart is how attractive and
user-friendly they make that package. Alacra might make its financial
and corporate information delivery services simple to use, but there's
nothing easy about channeling information from 100 corporate databases
and 45,000 relevant websites into a single customized access point for
its 600 corporate clients (representing 50,000 subscribers worldwide).
2006 was a banner year for Alacra, with a slew of new releases,
updates, and launches that tapped into the power of Web 2.0,
conceptually and technologically.
Alacra knows that in the
fast-paced business world, every bit of data left undiscovered could
potentially derail entire operations. "It's hard to keep the customer
happy if there's information out there that they don't get," Goldstein
explains. That's what their developers had in mind when they launched
the beta version of Alacra Store in late 2005. Users don't need
subscriptions to all 35 premium business information databases to
summon up one of the 200 million reports on more than 350,000 public
and private companies—instead, they can perform a simple free search
and click to purchase relevant research. Big databases require robust
search tools, and their new Ajax-driven keyword search incorporates an
exciting new technology to perform simultaneous searches across a
number of fields, and fine-tune results on the spot.
Alacra might
not have the widespread name recognition of a company like Google, but
then again its search strategies are very different from
one-size-fits-all engines. In 2006, Alacra was all about perfecting the
very specific—and time-intensive—kinds of vertical searches into its
aggregated content that its users need to perform on a daily basis. For
example, the new Alacra Compliance addresses stringent financial
vetting regulations with a federated search solution that lets users
search over 600 global regulatory websites at once in a highly
configurable setting, compressing what might previously have been a
day-long slog through legal and financial records into a half hour
operation.
Also new in 2006 is Alacra Current Awareness, which
collects digital content within users' relevancy parameters and then
delivers it daily via email, RSS feed, or even directly to BlackBerrys.
The details of Current Awareness make it a smarter digital solution for
corporations: Managers configure lists for an entire team, delivery is
customized right down to the time zone, and Alacra's other applications
are seamlessly integrated to build instant snapshots and reports out of
the news items.
Alacra isn't shy about asking its corporate
customers to pony up their own wealth of insider industry knowledge. In
September 2005, an Alacra intern set up the Alacra Wiki, making it one
of the first business-to-business wikis on the web. Many business
information companies, including Outsell Inc. and Dow Jones &
Company, take full advantage of this open forum to post headlines,
executive bios, product reviews, links to RSS feeds, and more.
Goldstein is enthusiastic about how user-generated content such as that
on Alacra Wiki can be beneficial to vertical information markets, and
how it encourages collaboration and contribution within specific
communities. "The more places where there is accurate information about
your company—well, that's a good thing," he says. Goldstein also uses
his company's blog more like a two-way radio than a soapbox, putting
information out there in order to get comments, feedback, and
suggestions from anyone with something to say.
The company also
fosters the same open exchange of ideas among its employees. Its
diversity mirrors the diversity of its corporate home, New York City,
with almost half of its employees coming from outside the United
States. Every year, the company celebrates its anniversary with an
International Wine and Food Fest, where everyone brings a dish that's
either their favorite or representative of their heritage.
All of
these innovations are underscored by a number of solid older products,
like Alacra Book (which builds briefing reports) and Alacra Premium
(their subscription database). But this isn't a company that rests on
its laurels—if you've got a great idea for 2007, Alacra would love to
hear it.
—Jessica Dye
