Global Products and Services Companies Database (GPS)
This is an initiative which is designed to:
- lubricate international trade
- give companies in the 3rd World a more level playing field on which to compete with companies in developed countries
- give the public and purchasing and procurement personnel access to zero-cost high-quality company product and services search databases
Traditionally, such databases are web-based, are not too fast to search on, and are not so easy to join either. A number of them charge lots of money to join and/or to search
This project is based on the following:
- the database runs locally on CD, DVD, hard drive or LAN Server
- downloads can be obtained from the internet
- the format is open – thus content can be obtained from several or many sources
- the content format is very flexible, therefore companies and information providers can prepare and/or process content themselves
- searching is by text-search utility – “the documents are the database”
- the recommended text-search utility WfindStr is a Freeware/Shareware product written by the GPS originator (alex weir) and downloadable free of charge from http://www.anytimenow.com/guest using the area <alexweir> and the password <password> , but any suitable text-search utility can be used, even the very basic one supplied with Windows. Note that WfindStr provides searching on up to 8 keywords or keyphrases, and if no match is found can conduct a “fuzzy” or “best-fit” search. And the search speed is extremely acceptable. Check http://www24.brinkster.com/alexweir/WFindStr for more details
- so far (15 February 2002) there are 3 download files available – gps00001.zip (1.1 meg, 2800 .htm files, 2800 companies globally), gps00002zip (1.1 meg, 2700 .htm files, 2700 companies globally), gps00003.zip (1.1 meg, 1350 .htm files, 1350 companies from Zimbabwe) – all at http://www.anytimenow.com/guest using the area <alexweir> and the password <password> . We should be able to get 600,000 companies on one CD and 6 million companies on a DVD.
- The files sit in any series of directories and sub-directories under any master directory. Each directory probably contains up to say 5,000 files (more than that can cause performance degradation, depending on the PC operating system)
- the preferred format is .htm file (web page) but some files are also .doc (word document), and can be .pdf (adobe acrobat) or .txt (text files). RTF (rich text format) is NOT supported at the moment by the recommended text-search utility WfindStr
- a technique called “narrowcasting” is promoted by the system (but is not essential to use this technique – you can get your list of search matches and browse conventionally through the detail of those companies). Narrowcasting means doing a search to create a shortlist of email addresses of probable suppliers of the goods or services you are seeking. Then emailing them with your requirements, and carrying on from there. This is NOT junk-mailing. Narrowcasting is a very efficient method of searching and conducting business. Companies who receive narrowcast messages which are not of interest to them can simply delete those messages.
- Narrowcasting is facilitated by the GPS convention of naming the .htm or other documents with the email address plus .htm at the end – see examples if/when you download some gps data file(s)
- This is not some second-class database system for poor countries – it is a global product for global companies. The fact that it is free does not detract from its value – it enhances it
- We welcome submission of company info by email as a file attachment to alexweir@africonline.co.zw with a copy to alexweir@email.com - thank you. If making a .htm file is a problem then just prepare a word .doc file and use the <save as web page> option. If you are a trade promotion, yellow pages, or trade directory company or organization then we can easily process your data from text files, Access database, dbase database and a number of other database formats – please contact us to discuss
Mr Alex Weir
4 Brechin Drive, Marlborough,
Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa
Tel +263 4 301 047 or +263 23 824 045 (mobile) (timezone UTC+2 hours)
alexweir@email.com or alexweir@africaonline.co.zw
15 February 2002