CSFB followed a similar process using Microsoft Access as its database software. The Lehman system now includes links to 15,000 Web sites. As with CSFB's C.L.A.R.I.F.Y., information can be accessed by industry, location, or company. Unlike CSFB's system, however, the Lehman site provides users with a pre-selected list of companies based on the firm's client list and the companies covered by their research analysts. There are also links to some external sources, formerly available on networked CD-ROMs.
Bankers can enter ticker symbols for any publicly traded company.
As with any venture of this type, marketing is a key success factor and Lehman has done an excellent job in selling the service. The library highlights the site and its use in Data View, a publication distributed to all Lehman staff. Demos are presented in Equity Research and at Investment Banking analyst orientations, and the library staff promotes the product to all bankers using the library services. The results cannot be disputed. The site has 14,000 hits per month, more than the corporate phone directory.