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MetalBase, New Dialog Database For Worldwide Metals Industry, Now Available

Deep Archive of Metals Research, With Other Complementary Research Choices

CARY, N.C., USA (July 12, 2004) — Dialog, a Thomson (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) business and a leading worldwide provider of online-based information services and integrated information solutions, announced today that it has released a new database — called MetalBase — to serve the global metals industry and its users.

MetalBase (File 36) is a database accessible through Dialog-branded services that aggregates literature drawn internationally from publications and proceedings focused on the metals and allied industries, including aluminum, steel and iron. Content includes articles and reports from specialized trade publications; books and monographs; proceedings from conferences, symposia and meetings (many not available elsewhere); journal articles; and patent documents.

“One of our key priorities is to remain innovative in developing information resources for specialized groups within our worldwide customer base,” said Viji Krishnan, Dialog vice president, publisher management. “For our constituents in the metals industry, as well as customers in such industries as aerospace, automotive, construction and petroleum, MetalBase will be an important resource. Because it is focused specifically on metals and related topics, searches generate highly relevant and accurate results, and that’s critical when bottom line decisions are being made.”

Krishnan added that Dialog continues to expand its extensive portfolio of research across a variety of scientific, technical and medical topics, and to leverage those information resources to offer multiple, related research choices that complement others available through Dialog. For example, metallurgists, managers and others in the metals industry who need the type of information available through MetalBase may also utilize Dialog’s collection of databases focused on engineering, manufacturing, patent and intellectual property research.

Among the metals topics included in MetalBase are forms, materials, products, processes and properties. MetalBase also includes documents related to welding and allied processes.

At its launch, MetalBase contained more than 316,000 documents, with additional documents added on an ongoing basis. Editorial coverage begins in 1966, making MetalBase one of the deepest archive of metals research available online.

Dialog produced the new database by culling metals-related materials from two other databases available on its services, INSPEC® (File 2) and Weldasearch® (File 25). Krishnan noted that Dialog expects to increase the number of documents in MetalBase in part by drawing additional metals-oriented materials from other databases accessible through Dialog services.

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About Dialog and The Thomson Corporation
Dialog, a pioneer in developing the technology behind electronic information retrieval, 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, the online services provided by Dialog — offered through the Dialog®, Dialog Profound®, Dialog DataStar™, Dialog NewsEdge® and Dialog Intelliscope^SM brands — give users the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than 1.4 billion unique records, accessible via the Internet or through delivery to enterprise intranets. Searchable content includes articles and reports from thousands of real-time news feeds, newspapers, broadcast transcripts and trade publications, plus research reports and analyst notes providing support for financial decision-making, as well as in-depth repositories of scientific and technical data, patents, trademarks and other intellectual property data. Information professionals and end-users at business, professional and government organizations in more than 100 countries prize Dialog services for their depth and breadth of content, precision searching and speed.

Based in Cary, N.C., USA, Dialog has operations in 26 other countries. Dialog (www.dialog.com) is a business of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). With 2003 revenues of US$7.6 billion, Thomson (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.

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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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