CAMBRIDGE, Mass., LONDON and NEW YORK — January 16, 2008 — As a key part of a newly redesigned FitchResearch.com, Fitch Ratings flagship research product, Fitch has integrated new cutting-edge search and information access capabilities provided by Endeca, an information access software company. These enhanced search capabilities enable Fitch Research users to more easily access the collection of Fitch's premium data and content.
In 2007, Fitch began working with search and information access specialist Endeca, who has deep expertise in Web publishing and the online customer experience, to explore options for overhauling Fitch Research search capabilities. The result was a solution that went beyond just improving the search box and relevancy ranking of results to address all the ways people went about looking for information and the types of credit risk decisions this information could help provide.
"We spent a lot of time talking to our customers about what they desired in the Fitch Research experience. The challenge quickly became how to design tools and features that could accommodate all of the different types of customers, with wide ranging goals," said Alan Samuels, Managing Director, Global Product Development at Fitch Ratings. "By partnering with Endeca, we've been able to create search and information functionality that is unmatched and will give our subscribers new ways to explore and use our premium information and analytic tools."
The new features were rolled out to select clients for testing and feedback and was also put through a series of rigorous and comprehensive usability tests. The new service allows clients quick and easy access to ratings by issuers, research and surveillance data and the ability to browse and filter information using criteria such as market sector, geography, analyst name, report type and rating action.
Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.
About Endeca
Endeca's innovative information access software helps people explore, analyze, and understand complex information, guiding them to unexpected insights and better decisions. The Endeca Information Access Platform, built around a new class of access-optimized database, powers applications that combine the ease of searching and browsing with the analytical power of business intelligence. More than 500 leading global organizations including ABN AMRO, Boeing, Cox Newspapers, the (US) Defense Intelligence Agency, Dell, Ford Motor Company, Hyatt, IBM, John Deere, the Library of Congress, Texas Instruments, and Walmart.com rely on Endeca to power business-critical applications that increase revenue, reduce costs, and streamline operations.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Endeca has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information: endeca.com or info@endeca.com.
Contacts:
Craig VerColen
Endeca
617-674-6190
cvercolen@endeca.com