The Search, Aggregation & Distribution Services segment, or "SADS" includes search engines, general aggregators, subscriptions services providers, and book distributors, and features newer global players like Chinese search engine SINA in addition to U.S. companies like LexisNexis, Dialog, and Microsoft (MSN). So-called "disruptive" companies like Google and Yahoo! have propelled the segment to a 20.5 percent growth rate by making previously inaccessible content available to millions of users, and ultimately, enabled the scaling of the Web. Outsell forecasts that SADS will continue to outperform the general information industry's 9.8 percent growth rate, by growing 18 percent in 2005, and achieving a 17 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2005 through 2008. Revenue projections are $37.6 billion in 2005 and $59.6 billion three years later. (www.outsellinc.com) |
