COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 51114

Database and Directory Publishers

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

34companies1826–2002founding years32still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedSociété du Figaro S.A.
1826
FoundedBonnier AB
1837
FoundedWest Group
1882
FoundedThe E.W. Scripps Company
1890
FoundedWegener NV
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedThe Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
1922
FoundedSeat Pagine Gialle S.p.A.
1925
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH
1949
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedPantone Inc.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedTime Out Group Ltd.
1968
FoundedAcxiom Corporation
1969
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedDeLorme Publishing Company, Inc.
1976
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedTrader Classified Media N.V.
1987
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedTelefónica de Argentina S.A.
1990
FoundedPMP Ltd.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedCygnus Business Media, Inc.
1996
FoundedChoicePoint Inc.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedSanomaWSOY Corporation
1999
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Société du Figaro S.A. →
Active · founded 1826 · France
One of France's oldest newspaper groups, Société du Figaro S.A.
Bonnier AB →
Active · founded 1837 · Sweden
Bonnier AB is one of the Nordic region's leading media groups, losing out the top spot to Finland's SanomaWSOY in 2001.
Reed Elsevier plc →
Active · founded 1880 · United Kingdom
Reed Elsevier plc is the joint venture of London-based Reed International plc and Netherlands-based Elsevier N.V.
West Group →
Active · founded 1882
West Group, the leading information provider to the U.S.
Wolters Kluwer NV →
Active · founded 1882 · The Netherlands
Wolters Kluwer NV is one of the worldwide leaders in publishing, and the Netherlands' second largest publisher after…
The E.W. Scripps Company →
Active · founded 1890
The E.W.
The H.W. Wilson Company →
Defunct · founded 1903
The H.W.
Wegener NV →
Active · founded 1903 · The Netherlands
Wegener NV is one of the Netherlands' leading newspaper publishing groups.
SBC Communications Inc. →
Active · founded 1920
Originally one of the seven regional holding companies formed after the breakup of American Telephone & Telegraph…
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Lebhar-Friedman, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Lebhar-Friedman, Inc.
Seat Pagine Gialle S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1925 · Italy
Seat Pagine Gialle S.p.A.
The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation →
Active · founded 1933
The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (D&B) is the leading provider of business information worldwide, priding itself on its…
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH →
Active · founded 1949 · Germany
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH publishes the German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung--FAZ for short.
Frost & Sullivan, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Frost & Sullivan, Inc.
Pantone Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
Pantone, Inc., with its corporate headquarters in Carlstadt, New Jersey, is a private company that over the last four…
Bernard C. Harris Publishing Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
In its four decades of existence, Bernard C.
Time Out Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1968 · United Kingdom
Time Out Group Ltd.
Acxiom Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
Acxiom Corporation--Acxiom is a registered trademark--is a leading provider of information management services and…
Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. →
Active · founded 1973 · Australia
Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.
DeLorme Publishing Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
DeLorme Publishing Company, Inc.
The Thomson Corporation →
Active · founded 1977 · Canada
As it prepares to enter the 21st century, The Thomson Corporation is completing its transformation from a media,…
Trader Classified Media N.V. →
Active · founded 1987 · The Netherlands
Trader Classified Media N.V.
Telecom Argentina S.A. →
Active · founded 1990 · Argentina
Telecom Argentina S.A.
Telefónica de Argentina S.A. →
Active · founded 1990 · Argentina
Telefónica de Argentina S.A.
McLeodUSA Incorporated →
Active · founded 1991
McLeodUSA Incorporated is a major provider of integrated telecommunications services to businesses and residential…
PMP Ltd. →
Active · founded 1991 · Australia
PMP Ltd.
Hollywood Media Corporation →
Active · founded 1993
Hollywood Media Corporation is a diversified company offering news, information, and ticketing services related to the…
Cygnus Business Media, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
As of mid-2003, Cygnus Business Media, Inc.
Information Holdings Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Information Holdings Inc.
ChoicePoint Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Spun off from Equifax Inc.
Informa Group plc →
Active · founded 1998 · United Kingdom
Informa Group plc assembles and sells specialized information in six broad business sectors: finance and insurance;…
SanomaWSOY Corporation →
Active · founded 1999 · Finland
Finland's SanomaWSOY Corporation leapt onto the broader European media scene with the 2001 acquisition of VNU's…
Dex Media, Inc. →
Active · founded 2002
Dex Media, Inc.
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