By T.J. Ripley
Finding good source companies often requires lots of digging and networking.
You need to talk to candidates, review resumes and keep on top of industry
news. But the world is changing so rapidly that no matter how well connected
you are, you're likely to miss hearing about a new firm or one that has
recently adopted a specific technology.
That's where the Web can help. There are lots of sites out there that can
help you find source companies.
One way to look for source companies is to check out online business sites.
There are loads of online directories that categorize companies by industry.
You've undoubtedly explored Web directories like those at Yahoo! and Snap ,
but there are lots more. Have you checked out BizWeb and 555-1212.com ? At
the latter site you can conduct an area code search and then link to a list
of Web sites that operate from cities and towns within that area code. It's
a handy way to find source companies within a specific area.
If you're looking for a firm's competitors, you'll definitely want to take a
look at Hoover's. This is a great business site with lots of information
about companies, industries and IPOs. Each company capsule includes a list
of its major competitors, as well as a link to information about the
industry in which it is a player.
If you're looking for source companies that use a specific technology
(software or hardware platforms) and hence employ plenty of talented
specialists, consider looking at the Web sites of firms that sell that
technology. Many of these sites will showcase the applications that their
customers build or use them as examples of customer success stories or case
studies.
BEA Systems, maker of Tuxedo and WebLogic, has several pages listing
customers who use its products. One page provides a listing of customers by
industry. Just match up your industry and see who else is using BEA Systems'
products. There is also a page of Tuxedo customers and another of WebLogic
customers.
Sun Microsystems maintains information about its products and solutions by
market. On its Markets & Industries page , Sun has links to a variety of
markets, including Financial Industry, Manufacturing, Service Providers and
Telecommunications. Selecting one of those links takes you to specific
information about products, services and customer stories related to that
industry. The Manufacturing market, for example, includes links to customer
success stories that are stored in PDF format. (These are professionally
produced Web-friendly marketing materials that aren't indexed by search
engines.) An added bonus when you find case studies and customer stories is
that you also frequently find the names of people within those source
companies - people who have directed the efforts to implement the new
technology.
IBM has a similar area on its site touting its product line. Within the area
devoted to the AS/400, pages are categorized by industry. Included here is a
page of Telecom and Media case studies which links to a variety of stories.
Take a look at sites like these, especially when looking for technical
candidates. You'll be surprised at how many source companies you can find...
and how many people.
-- T.J. Ripley is a journalist and Web explorer who contributes to AIRS
research and writing.
About AIRS
AIRS teaches recruiters and high-growth companies to find passive candidates
hidden inside directories, databases, archives and the public Web servers of
over 400,000 companies and organizations on the Net. For more information
about our cutting edge training seminars, publications, or web applications
please call 1-800-466-4010 or check out our web site at
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