Online Yellow Pages Market to Top 10% by End of Decade, New Simba Research Says

STAMFORD, CT–(EMWNews – August 21, 2008) – Internet yellow pages revenue is projected to

increase 14.1% to $1.42 billion in 2008, accounting for 8.3% of total

yellow pages market sales, according to new research from media industry

forecast and analysis firm Simba Information.

Simba’s latest strategic market report, “Online Yellow Pages Markets

2008-2009,” projects online ad sales will continue to grow in the double

digits annually through 2010, when online will represent 10.4% of yellow

pages industry revenue. The growth will be fueled by major publishers such

as AT&T, Idearc, Yellowbook and R.H. Donnelley, which together generated

$1.24 billion in revenue in 2007, dominating the U.S. yellow pages industry

with a more than 63% share of market. This group of publishers is forecast

to account for more than 67% of online yellow pages revenue of $1.42

billion in 2008.

“The Internet is the engine driving the yellow pages industry’s continued

growth,” said David Goddard, senior analyst/editor of Simba’s Yellow Pages

Group and lead author of the study. “The yellow pages medium is not about

selling yellow pieces of paper, but rather about delivering information

that connects buyers and sellers. The technology used to carry the

information will change but what remains constant is the extensive database

of information regularly updated by the thousands of ‘feet in the street’

— yellow pages sales reps who visit businesses of all sizes nationwide.

Those ‘feet in the street,’ along with a hefty investment by the publishers

in digital technology, are pushing the entire industry into surpassing the

$18 billion mark by the end of the decade. And, more than 10% of that $18

billion in revenue, or nearly $2 billion, will be coming from the

Internet,” Goddard said.

A full, detailed analysis of current trends surrounding the online yellow

pages market, as well as industry size and segmentation detail, can be

found in “Online Yellow Pages Markets 2008-2009.” The report also contains

industry forecast figures and comprehensive profiles of 16 leading yellow

pages publishers with the spotlight on their online operations. Additional

information can be found at www.simbainformation.com or by calling

888-29-SIMBA.

About Simba Information:

Simba Information is widely recognized as the leading authority for market

intelligence in the media and publishing industry. Simba’s extensive

information network delivers top quality, independent perspective on the

people, events and alliances shaping the media and information industry.

Simba publishes newsletters and research reports that provide key

decision-makers at more than 15,000 client companies around the globe with

timely news, analysis, exclusive statistics and proprietary industry

forecasts. For more information, please visit www.simbainformation.com.