IHS Inc.

Infobox Company
name = IHS Inc.

type = Public (nyse|IHS)
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foundation = 1959
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location_city = Englewood, Colorado
location_country = United States
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industry = Publishing
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subsid = Jane's Information Group
Dolphin Software, Inc.
Environmental Software Providers
Prime Publications Limited
John S. Herold, Inc.
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IHS Inc. (IHS) is a publicly traded (NYSE: IHS) business information services company. Based in the United States, IHS serves international clients in four major areas: energy, product lifecycle, environment, and security. IHS provides industry data, technical documents, custom software applications, and consulting services. IHS brands include Jane's Information Group, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), and John S. Herold, Inc. In 2007, IHS reported revenue of $688.4 million (a 25% annual increase) [http://www.ihs.com/Investor-Relations/financial-reports.htm] . IHS is ISO 9001 compliant. Its world headquarters are in Englewood, Colorado, United States.

IHS company history

In 1959, the Rogers Publishing Company, a publisher of technical news magazines, began indexing product catalogs on microfilm. Microfilming allowed catalogs to be updated without the expense of traditional publishing. In 1961, when Rogers was bought by Cahners Publishing, the catalogs division became Information Handling Services (IHS). IHS initially served the aerospace industry [http://www.answers.com/ihs] . Early clients included Martin-Marietta (now part of Lockheed Martin) and Convair Astronautics (now a division of the General Dynamics Corporation). The United States Army Missile Command (MICOM) (now a part of the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM)) contracted with IHS to develop a common parts file to be used by contractors designing new products.In the 1980s, with the advent of the personal computer, IHS added electronic databases and full text CD-ROMs to its delivery methods. In the 1990s, IHS embraced the Internet by distributing its information products through online databases. IHS also expanded beyond the aerospace and defense industries to focus on the energy industry, while continuing to serve the automotive, construction, and electronics sectors. In 2005, IHS became a publicly traded company (NYSE: IHS) and changed its name from Information Handling Services to IHS Inc. IHS is classified as belonging to the publications industry [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/ihs.html ] .

IHS supported industries

IHS provides products and services in the following industries:
* Energy
* Product lifecycle
* Environment
* Security

IHS products and services

IHS offers four broad categories of products and services:
* Industry data
* Technical documents
* Custom software applications
* Consulting services

Industry data

IHS analyzes and distributes energy, product lifecycle, security, and environment industry information to customers in more than 180 countries.

Technical documents

IHS distributes technical documents such as:
* Domestic and international standards developed by Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) such as ASTM International (ASTM), ESDU (now owned by IHS), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
* Regulatory guideline information and documentation including Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Custom software applications

IHS develops custom software applications that integrate the IHS information databases with their clients’ in-house management software applications, such as:
* Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
* Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

Consulting services

IHS, acting directly and through its CERA, Jane's Information Group, and Herold divisions, provides strategic consulting services and industry expertise to customers in the energy, product lifecycle, security, and environment industries.

Recent IHS acquisitions

IHS has embarked on an aggressive acquisition program in the last several years, acquiring (among others) the following companies:
* Jane’s Information Group, a global information provider to the aerospace and aero-defense industries and to government agencies. Jane’s publishes the renowned "Jane's Fighting Ships".
* Dolphin Software, Inc., which provides Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) management, chemical inventory management, environmental reporting, and chemical management services.
* Environmental Software Providers (ESP), which provides services including greenhouse gas management; air, water, and waste management; internal and regulatory compliance assurance; incident management; and management of emissions allowance and credit portfolios.
* Prime Publications Limited, which owns 50 percent of Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay Limited, a leading source of global maritime information [http://www.ihs.com/News/Press-Releases/2008/IHSandLRF.htm] .
* John S. Herold, Inc., a leading worldwide energy research and consulting firm.

IHS Brands

IHS brands include:
* IHS
* Jane's Information Group
* John S. Herold
* Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA)
* IHS EnerdeqEnergy mapping and browsing software that integrates access to multiple global energy data sources
* GeoFluids™Gas and water chemistry attribute database for Western Canada and the Frontiers
* AccuMap®Oil and gas mapping, data management, and analysis software
* PETRA®Software integrating geological, engineering and petrophysical analysis, and seismic interpretation and display tools

IHS Economic Indicators

As of May 1, 2008, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) reported the following IHS economic indicators [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=IHS] :
* P/E Ratio: 45.87
* Earnings per Share: 1.44
* Market Capitalization (billion): 3.28 B
* Shares Outstanding: 48,723,000The IHS annual report gave the following IHS economic indicators [http://www.ihs.com/Investor-Relations/financial-reports.htm 2007] :
* Revenue: $688.4 million (25% annual increase)
* Operating income: $116.6 million (45% annual increase)
* Net Income: $83.8 million (49% annual increase)
* Adjusted EBITDA: $167.6 million (42% annual increase)

Third Party Evaluations of IHS

In 2006, the information industry research firm Outsell, Inc., listed IHS among the top 10 Scientific, Technical & Medical (STM) Information companies. Outsell’s report analyzed the company size, growth rate, financial performance, and market share of the sector’s top 20 companies. Other companies among the top 10 included Elsevier, Thomson Scientific, and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.In 2007, OilVoice, an oil industry information company, named IHS as the best source for global oil and gas industry data. [http://www.oilvoice.com/ov_features/NewEyes_April_2007_1_Facts.pdf] In 2008, Portfolio Manager David Fording of William Blair said in an interview with Barron’s, “IHS is a good example of a sustainable business model. … Their critical asset is vast and extensive data bases that contain product and technical information on the majority of oil and gas wells around the globe. They have the most extensive data base among all of their competition so IHS is a one-stop shop for their customers.” [http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/seeking-sustainable-advantage/story.aspx?guid=%7B005A288A-90BC-4F92-A792-B3414F4DE88A%7D]

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