Changes in the
information market
- particularly in the market of statistical
information
Hannele Orjala
10.5.2000

”In the future
in the world
there would
be a market
for about
5 computers”
- Thomas Watson,
IBM, 1943 -
19.5.2000
A2

”Nobody would
want to bring
a computer home”

- Ken Olsen, Digital
1977 -
19.5.2000
A3


”I have a phone,
a mobile
shoe phone”
- Maxwell Smart,
Secret Agent, 1960’s -
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Development of business revenues 1990 - 1999
FINLAND
NORWAY
FIM 1,000
60
50
40
30
20
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
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A5
Increase in the use of information ->
strong business side for NSI’s ->
increase in the use of statistical information
in society
expanded use of statistics
new jobs and know-how
additional financing
the view of the actual end-user of
information

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Changes are different
1. User’s expectations and behaviour models
2. Mobile terminals (WAP) and WEB
3. Wide availability of free versus chargeable
information
4. Intermediaries role
5. Globalisation
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1. User’s expectations and behaviour models

timeliness of data
Case: volume index of industrial output ->
from 45 days 1998 to 30 days 2000

availability of preliminary data
Case: barometers e.g. consumer behaviour

speed of data supply
Case: loading via Internet a.s.a.p

knowledge of customer needs
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A8
Being a customer gives me additional value
for my own tasks, % of respondents
University
School
Association
Enterprise
State
Totally agrees
Almost agrees
Neither agr. nor disagr.
Almost disagrees
Totally disagrees
Municipality
Other
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
19.5.2000
A9
Competition case
Periodical Tekniikka&Talous
25.5.2000

Conference Board’s Leading Economic
Indicators index


first State statistics that an
enterprise is producing
global enterprise network
- USA now
- from summer 2000 England, Germany
- from summer 2001 Korea, Japan
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A 10
Even if other alternatives were available
I want to continue as a customer,
% of respondents
University
School
Association
Enterprise
State
Totally agrees
Almost agrees
Neither agr. nor disagr.
Almost disagrees
Totally disagrees
Municipality
Other
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
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A 11
2. Mobilephones and Internet
per 100
inhabitants
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A 12
The use of Internet,
enterprises with >20 employees, 1999
General Infomation search
Competitor analysis
Finland
Denmark
Contacting with public authorities
Recruitment
Financial transactions
0
20
40
60
80
100
19.5.2000
A 13
3. Have you ever had a financial
problem in NSIs ?



Statistical authorities do not have
the same financial elements as private
businesses do
Content producers have a secondary
place in portal and mobile terminals
Until large customer volumes
start to use technology for their purchase
transactions, we have to maintain
several information sale channels,
which tie up money and resources
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Wide availability of free versus chargeable information
- FREE megatrend
65 million free items of data in the StatFin service
 suitable amount of free information on the Internet?
 desire to distribute all the tables of Finnish official
statistics publications on the Internet without charge
 Italy’s National Statistical Institute:
free Internet distribution of census
 Sweden: free of charge use of its databases
 OECD: free access to pdf format publications on the
Internet

19.5.2000
A 15
EU Commission’s Green Paper 1999
”In some cases, the commercial reuse of public sector
information may however raise questions as to the
boundaries and limitations on the roles of the different
actors. …At the same time, if the public sector adds value
to its own information, launching commercial
information products onto a hitherto private information
market, the issue of fair competition may be raised.”
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Wide availability of free versus chargeable information
- FEE adapting
Changes will cause alterations in the revenue structure of
chargeable services in the near future
 In some cases the change will result in market
competition inside statistical institutes!
A need for a restricted and disciplined electronic business
strategy
The development of services for segmented customers
A portal strategy where we are acting with partners

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4. Intermediaries

Most information is conveyed to the
end-user via the media, researchers, consultants
and other processors of information.
The more competitors there are in the information
market, the more ideas and assurance of the use
value of information the users will get.

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PRODUCT GROUP
CHANGES IN THE
INFORMATION MARKET
Publications,
magazines
Basic statistics free to Internet.
More electronic publications.
More added value services.
PDF: free or fee?
Acquisition, co-operation,
Register data
partnership.
Business register
Product development is fast.
(WAP, WEB, maps, etc.)
Free register services available.
EBR=
European Business Register
The use of regional data is
Standard products
e.g. SuomiCD, customer increasing.
More trend information.
profiles, standard
More GIS etc. analysing.
packages for
Technological improvements.
municipalities
Internet, online.
More added value services.
Expert services are standardised
Expert services
as a product.
interview services,
Consultancy is a core part of
consultancy,
service and products.
methodology and
WEBeducation = weducation.
customer education
Data
More research. More demand.
COMPETITORS/
INFORMATION PROVIDERS
Non-fiction books, neomedia,
news agency
Esmerk, Startel, WOW,
Bloomberg
Atkos, Mailer, Helsinki Media,
MicroMedia,
Nordic Printmail, Suomen
asiakastieto,
Dun&Bradsteet, PHR
CCN Marknadsprofil,
Suomen Osoitelähde,
Kohtisuora Oy,
TietoEnator, VRK,
Karttakeskus, Novo Meridians ja
Novo,
News agencies
Research and consultancy
Institutes e.g. universities
Eurostat
19.5.2000
A 19
5. Globalisation
It is insignificant where the service to be
produced is initially created
 Even small actors, such as the Nordic
Countries, can serve global demand when
the contents are segmented correctly
 Co-operation and partnership

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A 21
What business are we really in?
We are in the business of
 producing data,
 adding value to it and
 delivering it in as raw data, analysis or knowhow.
 Adding value to the data means that we can select in
which information market we want to operate
 Analysing and consulting entail that we have a strong
expert role in the information market

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The keystones for success have to be found
from an information market strategy that is
clearly self-selected.
Those who understand weak signals will
prosper.
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A 23
”I am interested in the
future because
I am going to be there.”
- Mark Twain,
freely translated
-
19.5.2000
A 24