Pricing online information in the 90's: an online service viewpoint

Issue title: THE DATABASE BUSINESS: Managing Today – Planning for Tomorrow. Papers from the 30th NFAIS Annual Conference

Guest editors: A.W. Elias

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Trudell, Libby

Affiliations: DIALOG Information Services, Inc., 3460 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA

Abstract: Pricing for online services is most affected by changes in the marketplace and in technology. Product enhancements to meet the needs of a wider potential marketplace, as well as marketing investment to educate new customers are costly. Technology changes such as PC software to facilitate search formulation and data manipulation make it possible for users to retrieve information with increasing efficiency. Online services add value to information by providing greater currency, better quality databases and improved system responsiveness. While added value may provide opportunities for increasing prices, the most important consideration is that price be simple, predictable and controllable. New pricing structures such as fixed price contracts should be piloted in order to eliminate barriers to online information retrieval and expand the marketplace.

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-1988-82-406

Journal: Information Services & Use, vol. 8, no. 2-4, pp. 79-83, 1988