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The group of companies Bureau van Dijk

Since then, Bureau van Dijk undergoes an on-going expansion by diversifying its activities in the following domains: strategy surveys, industrial marketing surveys and economic research, information systems audits and research, diagnostics and development/restructuration planning.

Today, Bureau van Dijk consists of 14 companies located in Europe, the USA and Japan. Its principal activities are:

• Consultancy on Organisation, information and documentation systems and Business Strategy
• Computer Services
• Electronic Publishing (CD-ROM)

The company has a large customer base with international institutions (the European Space Agency, the European Commission, the E.C. Statistical Office, the European Parliament, the International Red Cross Committee, the International Labour Office, the UNESCO, the OCDE) as well as with companies in the private sector and with many public administrations in France and Belgium.

In 1986, Bureau van Dijk created a new activity: the publishing and marketing of CD-ROMs, and it became rapidly a leader in the European Market. The Bureau plays the role of service company by making CD-ROM's for other companies at fixed fees, or as co-editor.

In 1988, Bureau van Dijk set-up a subsidiary named Computer Services which is dedicated to the integration of Information Systems and Software Development. This new activity allows Bureau van Dijk to offer full support to would-be customers by programming and developing the proposed solution.

In 1989, Bureau van Dijk Computer Services signed an agreement with SAP to assume the support and implementation of their integrated system Finance and controlling, Human resources, Inventory management, Production control, Distribution.

The growth has been particularly important since 1985. From 40 persons in 1985 the company has grown up to 410 spread out in nine different countries.

The turnover was about 4 million ECU in 1985 and over the 50 million ECU in 1996.