. . . a selective guide to websites, companies, agencies, analysts, and other resources where entrepreneurs can find help in researching their industries and opportunities.

Fuld’s Internet Intelligence Index: offers help in gathering competitive intelligence information, including links to over 600 intelligence-related Internet sites ranging from macro-economic data to patent information.

The US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains company financial filings, applications and other documents in its EDGAR database, offering a wealth of information about public companies. Several companies, such as Edgar Online and 10k Wizard, offer access to SEC data in a more easily accessible, searchable, enhanced, or repackaged form, often with related research information.

Hoover’s offers basic background about public companies, industries, IPOs, and other business information at no charge, plus additional services for a fee.

Corporate Information: Offers news, research reports, and other info about public companies.

Sectorbase ($) a research firm that collects data, categorizes companies, and delivers comparables according to product and service offerings.

ZDNet Company Finder: Database of technology companies including contact info, website links, product lists, and more.

Annual Reports Library: Order annual reports from over 500,000 US and international companies.

ITpapers.com: At last count, this site collected almost 30,000 downloadable white papers from technology companies on topics including hardware, software, communications, and startup companies.

Analysts and other researchers play an important role in the high tech business ecology. Firms like these can offer a variety of services for a price, including research reports, customized research, publications, conferences, and more. While most services can be expensive, a good deal of useful information can be derived from announcements and other public releases as well. Here are some of the more prominent technology analyst and research firms; there are many more.

>Internet & Information Technology

ActivMedia: Monitors eCommerce and other emerging technologies and their implications for business.  

Cahners InStat Group: Offers reports and white papers covering the spectrum of digital communications market research from technology to end-user.

Forrester Research: Conducts research and analysis on the impact of emerging technologies on business, consumers, and society.  

Gartner Group: Covers the computer hardware, software, communications, and related IT industries.

International Data Corporation (IDC): Covers eCommerce, the Internet and information technology. IDC is a division of IDG, a publisher of many prominent technology industry magazines, including Computerworld and CIO.

META Group: Research and consulting firm, focusing on information technology and business transformation strategies.

Patricia Seybold Group: Specializes in eBusiness, IT, and customer relationship issues.

Yankee Group: Focuses on global communications, wireless, Internet, and eBusiness markets and technologies.

>Telecom, Wireless, Satellite, etc.

TeleGeography: A source for international telecommunications statistics and analysis. Regular published reports include International Bandwidth, Telegeography, and Colocation.

ResearchPortal: Links to research and reports on the mobile communications industry.

Communications Industry Researchers: A research group specializing in the optical communications sector.

>Website Traffic And Online Usage

Jupiter Media Metrix: Analyzes the impact of the Internet and new technologies on commerce and marketing.

Nielsen NetRatings: Syndicated service providing advertisers, site publishers, and media planners with Internet audience information.

comScore: Applies a proprietary research community to evaluate websites.

Arbitron Webcast Ratings: This radio audience rating firm also has a division for tracking and measuring webcast audiences.

Harris Interactive: The veteran polling firm’s online division.

eMarketer: provides aggregated statistics, trends and analysis about eBusiness.

>Research Resellers And Aggregators

statistics.com: A searchable, browsable directory of published statistical data in a wide range of topics, from business to government to science, technology and transportation.

MarketResearch.com: Offers a service that allows you to buy just portions of certain reports from a variety of firms at a reduced price.

Bitpipe: Collects reports and white papers from dozens of vendors and analysts for distribution and resale.

NUA Internet Surveys: Publishes a free weekly email newsletter that aggregates and summarizes conclusions from research reports on Internet-related topics.

AllNetResearch: A division of Internet.com offering reports for sale.

>> Internet Statistics & Domain Names

CyberAtlas: Tracks application, business and usage trends related to the Internet.

Internet Geography Project: International statistics about Internet domains, hosts and users.

Who Is: Service from domain registrar VeriSign that let’s you search for a domain name, or search by a company name to find its Web address.

>> Funding & Finance Info

Venture Economics: Tracks news, statistics, trends and deals in the private equity industry.

VentureSource: Comprehensive database on venture-backed companies and investors by VentureOne.

VentureWire: News, data, and research on private technology companies, venture capital firms, technology executives, and investors

Venture Reporter: Private equity transaction database with corresponding newsletters, print magazine, and events.

CyberValuation: Interactive database featuring technology company transactions and financial valuation tools.

BVLibrary: Includes publications, research, and other resources about business valuations.

Alert-IPO: In-depth coverage of the IPO market, including news, alerts and email newsletters.

IPO.com: Information on IPO offerings, underwriters, accountants and law firms.

Webmergers.com: Among other services, tracks statistics for Internet and technology company acquisitions and closures.

The National Venture Capital Association: Represents over 400 venture capital and private equity organizations.    

>> Economic, Demographic, and Other Data

Bureau of Labor Statistics: An agency of the US government offering research and statistics on a wide variety of topics ranging from the state of the US economy, to worker compensation, to consumer spending.

Claritas: A provider of consumer demographic information.

USA Data: Offers demographic, industry, and consultant reports for sale.

FedStats: Gateway to statistics from over 100 US federal agencies.

Statistical Abstract of the United States: Collects data from the US Census Bureau.

Economic Information Systems: Offers economic intelligence at any level or aggregation of US geography.

US Census Bureau: Government supplied information on people, businesses and geography.

>> The Digital Government

Center for Digital Government: Research reports on how state, local, municipal, and federal governments are using network technologies, including its annual Digital States and Digital Cities surveys.

FirstGov: Links to information for, from, and about the US federal government.

NTIS Product Search: Order from 450,000 US government science and technology publications.

Commerce Business Daily: A government-wide listing of US federal procurement opportunities that exceed $25,000.  

>> Global Markets

The Internationalist: Offers a variety of links and information about international companies, markets, and opportunities.

OFFSTATS: Lists websites that offer free and easily accessible social, economic, and general data from official or similarly "quotable" sources.

CIA World Fact Book: Background information on the countries of the world.

Asia Pacific Management Forum: Resources for Asian regional news, business strategy, research, and marketing intelligence.

>> Business Libraries

Library of Congress Business Reference Services: Links to business resources on the Internet.

Subject Research Guides from the Dana Library at Rutgers University, includes topics such as Market Research, eCommerce and Entrepreneurship.

Electronic journals catalogued at Stanford University’s Jackson Library.

Business Reference Shelf at the Lippincott Library of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, includes links to a wide variety of research resources.

Company & Industry Information at the Baker Library of the Harvard Business School has links to many sources offering company lists, databases, research, financial information, and industry data.

Virtual Business Information Center at the University of Maryland is an extensive collection of electronic and print business resources.