AME Info celebrates 10 years of growth and success

Executives at the company have used the anniversary to reveal plans for the significant expansion of their offering in the market, in addition to taking the opportunity to reflect on the development of AME Info.

CEO and Founder, Klaus Lovgreen, along with AME Info Sales Director and shareholder Lars Nielsen, who joined in mid-1996, have overseen some major changes in the company and wider media industry over the last decade.

Klaus Lovgreen, AME Info's CEO and founder, said:

"The Middle East's business information sector - and particularly the opportunities afforded by the growth of the internet - has utterly transformed over the past decade. AME Info has benefited enormously from the technological, social and economic progress which has made this possible, as well as the support of a large network of partners and customers."

AME Info has come a long way in its first decade of operation, originally providing CD-ROM databases of business information, and now hosting one of the region's most-visited online business information platforms.

This was recognized last year when the company was catapulted into the 'Superbrand' category for its pioneering work in acting as a channel for business development and creating awareness of the business opportunities that exist in the Middle East.

'Superbrands' is the independent arbiter on branding with the organisation promoting the discipline of branding and paying tribute to exceptional brands. 'Superbrands' programmes operate in over 40 countries and the Superbrand status is awarded by an independent judging panel of experts.

"When I look back over the last ten years, I am still amazed that AME Info has had the ability and team to be at the forefront of change and has never ever stood still. Technology is constantly moving and usually at a greater pace than most companies can keep pace with. I am proud to say that AME Info has continued to innovate, adapt and even change, our business models or style if it means we offer the best, most relevant services to our customers," added Lovgreen.

While online from 1996, in 1999 the company completed its shift away from the CD-ROM format and the new Internet-based platform added content such as company news and current events to its services.

In the autumn of 2000 the company added a journalistic touch to the content portfolio and launched AME Info FN headed by Peter Cooper - concentrating on the financial markets and economics in the region. This proved a very successful move and in November 2000 AME Info was awarded "Best Commercial Services Site" by Visa International and Arabian Business.

In May 2001 the company was re-structured and AME Info FZ LLC was established in Dubai Media City as a limited liability company and exactly one year later entered into a marketing tie-up with CNN International. Under the agreement the two organizations, to date, respectively promote each others' services online and on air.

By the first month of 2006, the company had already got behind two new products and services with the introduction of AME Info's MediaCentre and daily podcast.

The former provides what the company calls 'the perfect antidote to information overload,' by helping users track just the news they want in one central place, creating a unique 'personal newspaper' online. The daily podcast is the first seven-day daily product that keeps you informed by summarising the top stories of the day.

Having built up to its current level of carrying over 100,000 news articles, AME Info currently covers contact and activity details of over 300,000 companies from 14 countries across the Middle East, including: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

AME Info has grown into one of the Middle East's most trusted business resources with a number of professional contributors from across the region with columns that include topics such as e-business, environment, education, defence and currency commentary among others.

For anyone looking at AME Info ten years ago and again today, they would be foolish to predict what the company will be doing at the end of their second decade in business but if it is anything like the dynamic approach that has characterised the first, then we can expect even bigger and greater things from the AME info team.