Information Resources and PC Data Establish Strategic Alliance 11/07/00 A new alliance between Information Resources and PC Data will combine consumer panels to track online and offline consumer behaviour as well as tracking, testing and analysing Internet marketing campaigns. By linking PC Data's Internet metering technology with IRI's Shoppers' Hotline®d; panel of 55,000 households, consumer goods manufacturers will be able to tie Internet usage to online and offline consumer behaviour. Additionally, PC Data's own panel of 120,000 households will be available to IRI customers for custom online survey research. Under the alliance, PC Data's Internet metering and survey capabilities become another component of IRI's Internet toolkit. Developed by IRI, the Internet toolkit helps consumer goods companies develop Internet strategies, implement those strategies and evaluate their effectiveness. PC Data joins other IRI alliance partners, Forrester Research and DoubleClick, to provide Internet marketing diagnostic services in the industry. According to Ann Stephens, CEO of PC Data, "IRI is one of the largest and most highly respected market research organisations in the world. Together we offer an extraordinary wealth of data on both online and offline consumer buying habits. These enhancements to IRI's Internet toolkit will create a single information source for consumer goods companies who want to further refine and target their Internet marketing and distribution strategies." "This alliance greatly enhances IRI's Internet services to consumer goods manufacturers and e/retailers. The addition of the PC Data meter to IRI's Shoppers' Hotline®d; Panel will directly link Internet usage to online/offline buying," added Daniel Sherr, IRI executive vice president for strategic business development. "Additionally, the robust PC Data panel of 120,000 home Internet users allows us to understand consumer behaviour and motivations -- actually interpret what is happening at the consumer level and why it is happening -- while it's happening. All this from a single source." PC Data was established in 1991 and is a leading source of computer hardware, software and video games intelligence and data. Its PC Data Online division is a leading provider of Internet measurement and analysis. Through its 120,000 US home Internet panel, the online division also fields custom Internet-based surveys. With 600 subscribers, PC Data measures web activity in the US, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, China and Italy.