Far from standing still, many are furiously attempting to develop Web-based products to complement their print product and reach out to new audiences. In any case, most analysts agree that print products have many years of life left in them. The Globe's news and features are just one element of the site, which was produced in collaboration with Boston cultural institutions and broadcasters. It also features syndicated lifestyle and business content, but no news. All merchants that are listed in the yellow pages are also listed on At Hand, with additional enhancements included, such as product descriptions, store hours, and driving directions.
Users can access merchant listings by typing in their zip codes or keywords.
The At Hand enhancements are provided free for its first year. After that, Pac Tel hopes to sell them to its advertisers. Many of the newfangled local information services are already very functional. But at this point, these services have not made much of a dent in the local advertising picture. Until they overcome some critical hurdles, it is unlikely that they will.