American Medical Information, an online provider of medical, business and consumer databases, has launched DrListExpress.com. This new service is an online subscription tool created to help medical companies and sales representatives cultivate healthcare sales leads 24/7. (American Medical Information is an infoUSA company).

DrListExpress.com offers users access to 730,000 physicians and surgeons, 180,000 dentists and thousands of other healthcare providers, such as chiropractors, physical therapists, and healthcare facilities. It also offers access to databases of new movers and new homeowners for building medical practices.

To make DrListExpress.com an even more complete source, American Medical Information has also added content to the site. Customers can use the tool to educate themselves on the specifics of direct marketing, as well as call planning, researching competitors and uncovering other revenue streams.

Sales professionals are constantly seeking new ways in which to increase their pipelines, uncover promising sales leads and close those sales. Any tool that promises to help them accomplish their goals is worth trying. This one has such great potential, in part, because of the backing of database powerhouse infoUSA, which is known for its vast business and consumer databases.

Getting face time with any physician is also an incredible challenge for sales reps; and it's an even more daunting task if they are targeting the wrong physicians. This new tool should definitely help reps identify the decision-makers they seek. With nearly one million names in the database at launch, DrListExpress.com should provide value for reps immediately. The around the clock access isn't revolutionary, since it's a typical feature for online services. However, it's a key feature for reps who outline their sales strategies after business hours. The availability and functionality to DrListExpress.com should undoubtedly ensure that the entire sales process keeps moving.

IHS Inc. last week acquired U.K.-based The McCloskey Group Ltd. for approximately 14.4 million pounds. The McCloskey Group provides information and analysis on the international coal markets. The company was founded in 1987 to provide coal and energy newsletters to the Financial Times.

The McCloskey Group's current stable of products includes eight print and electronic publications, annual conferences and consulting services. Coal producers, traders, shippers and consumer blue-chip customers rely on these offerings.

This deal will ultimately help IHS bolster its energy-related offerings to assist IHS in providing a more comprehensive suite of news and analysis for this market. It's not a particularly large transaction, but it will undoubtedly play a significant role in helping IHS become a more complete information and services provider for the energy market and for its overall customer base.