Hoover's (TM) Incorporated provides sales, marketing, development, and other business professionals with information on U.S. and global companies, industries, and executives. The firm's online database contains records on 16.5 million companies and business leaders. The company's technology allows subscribers to search listings, create contact lists, and generate customized company reports. An information download tool can be employed in exporting data to spreadsheet, customer relationship management (CRM), and other enterprise applications. Hoover's provides users with news notification tools. Along with wireline and wireless database access services, the firm also licenses its content to businesses. Hoover's was launched by Gary Hoover, who also founded the Bookstop book retail chain in 1982. Hoover, Alta Campbell, Patrick Spain, and Alan Chai launched The Reference Press in 1990. The firm's first book, 'Hoover's Handbook 1991: Profiles of Over 500 Major Corporations,' was published in the same year. The Reference Press began focusing on electronic publishing in 1991, forming a partnership with Sony and establishing distribution agreements with LexisNexis, Bloomberg, AOL, Apple, and other companies. Warner Books invested in the firm in 1994, leading to the launch of the Hoover's Online (HOL) Web site. Other investors include InfoSeek and Media General. In 1996, The Reference Press changed its name to Hoover's Incorporated. Two years later, the company established an e-commerce deal with Amazon.com. Hoover's went public in 1999. The company launched Hoover's Online Europe in 2000. In the same year, the firm invested in 10K Wizard, Intellifact, and VercomNet. It also acquired Powerize, renamed Hoover's Media Technologies (HMT). Hoover's was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet in 2002.