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Dialog Launches DialogPRO for Small Business
Company Targets New Market With Flat Fee Subscription Service

CARY, NC, USA, February 19, 2002 -- Dialog, a Thomson business and a leading worldwide provider of online-based information services, today announced the worldwide launch of DialogPRO ("predictable research online"), a new service available for fixed monthly fees with unlimited usage that is designed specifically for small business users.

The new Web-based information retrieval service takes the best of Dialog's online precision searching and content aggregating attributes and tailors them for use by small business owners and managers seeking competitive advantage at a predictable, manageable cost.

"Since 1972, Dialog has been a trusted resource for information professionals, knowledge managers and others in the corporate and scientific arenas," said Roy M. Martin Jr., Dialog president and CEO. "Now we are extending our reach into the small business sector. With DialogPRO, we're taking the expertise we've built over the years and customizing it to meet the needs of small business owners and managers.

"In virtually every market we serve around the world, small businesses are powerful catalysts for economic growth," Martin continued. "Business intelligence, used creatively, can foster their success. DialogPRO, with its fixed monthly subscription fees and unlimited use, will help small businesses level the competitive playing field."

Initially, subscribers to DialogPRO may choose one of two content channels that best matches their business needs, one focused on news and the other on advertising and marketing.

Later this year, Dialog will launch additional content channels focused on such areas as health and wellness, energy, defense, biotech, competitive intelligence and intellectual property.

Within each content channel there are additional, tiered options (primary, plus and premier tiers), enabling subscribers to create their own continuously updated databases of news and information sources.

A subscriber's fixed monthly subscription is based on the individual source selections the subscriber chooses. All DialogPRO accounts are available for flat fee subscriptions. (Certain restrictions, based on client revenue size, apply.) Additional content materials not included in a subscription may be searched and retrieved on a transactional basis.

The first DialogPRO content channel now available is DialogPRO News, which is designed to help small businesses track industry trends, competitors, suppliers and partners, and also to stay up-to-date with regulators and government authorities impacting their industries.

Sources available through DialogPRO News include newspapers, trade journals, wire services and press release distribution services.

The second DialogPRO content channel currently available is DialogPRO Advertising, which enables small businesses to access valuable "how to" information on marketing techniques, plus detailed information about advertising campaigns in their industries. The content channel also includes an extensive array of information sources detailing ownership and use of brands, trademarks and other intellectual property.

In addition to the ability to electronically search and then retrieve articles and reports culled from available sources, all DialogPRO subscribers also have full access to Dialog's three Knowledge Centers, based in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The highly trained Knowledge Center staff is available to provide search tips and background information on the various sources accessible through DialogPRO.

"Every business today understands the challenges of staying alert to industry trends and competitive intelligence," said Dialog's Martin. "Accurate, timely and focused information ‚ whether it be from across town or around the world -- gives us the ability to make the right decisions, when we need to make them.

"We developed DialogPRO because we believe it is a service that will truly make a difference for small businesses," Martin added. "It's time."

Editors: For a demonstration of DialogPRO, please contact Sandy Scherer or John Buckman.

DialogPRO product information.

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About Dialog
Founded in 1972 by Dr. Roger K. Summit, a pioneer in developing the technology behind electronic information retrieval, Dialog is the world leader in providing online-based information services to organizations seeking competitive advantages in such fields as business, science, engineering, finance and law.

Today, Dialog's three online platforms -- Dialog®, Profound® and DataStar™ -- offer users the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than 1.2 billion unique records, accessible via the Internet or through delivery to enterprise intranets. The content available ranges from articles and reports published in thousands of publications to in-depth repositories of patents, trademarks and other intellectual property data.

Corporate librarians, knowledge managers and other information professionals at more than 25,000 business, professional and government organizations in more than 100 countries prize Dialog services for their breadth and depth of content, precision searching and speed.

Headquartered in Cary, N.C., USA, with direct operations in 32 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and the Asia Pacific, Dialog is a business of The Thomson Corporation. For more information about Dialog, please visit www.dialog.com. Or, please call (U.S./Canada) 800-3-DIALOG or (U.S.) 919-462-8600. Dialog's London office may be reached at (44) (0) 207-940-6900.

About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 2000 revenues of approximately US$6 billion, is a leading provider of integrated information solutions to business and professional markets worldwide. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the Toronto (TSE:TOC) and London stock exchanges.

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All designated trademarks used herein are the property of The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries. Registered marks are registered by The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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