Even with the free Web-based products, CD-ROM is still a convenient and economical medium for searching telephone directories. However, the dozen publishers who were selling these products in 1996 have now shrunk to just two: American Business Information and DeLorme.
The most comprehensive product offering access to U.S. business and residential numbers is American Business Information's Powerfinder. It contains 115 million business and residential listings, the equivalent of more than 7,000 local telephone directories. In addition to phone and address information, it has toll-free numbers, fax numbers, and Web site addresses. One can search the six disks by name (person or business) address, city, state, ZIP code, phone number, Yellow Pages heading, or SIC code. The list price is $80. The company plans to issue a single DVD disk containing the same information.
DeLorme's PhoneSearch USA .3.0 contains 96 million business and residential listings on seven CD-ROMs. In addition to name searches, one can do reverse searches by phone number, find addresses on a particular street, search by business type, or limit searches to a city, state, ZIP code, area code, or telephone exchange. Search results can be printed or exported in numerous formats. The list price is $30.
[Contact: American Business Information, South 86th Circle, Omaha, NE 68127; telephone 402-593-4500. DeLorme, Two DeLorme Drive, Yarmouth, ME 04096; telephone 207-846-7000]
