Finding Company and Proprietary Information

Company information is available from a variety of online sources through UT Library Online.  The UTLOL Business Reference Web page provides access to many helpful resources, including:

• Business and Company ASAP
  • incorporates Company Directory data on 180,000+ private and public U.S. companies,
• Moody's Company Data
  • Provides immediate access to data on more than 10,000 NYSE, AMEX, Nasdaq and other select regional exchange companies
• LEXIS-NEXIS
  • provides access to company profiles and financial reports,
• TableBase
  • provides access to tabular information on companies, industries, products, countries and markets.

What Is Proprietary Information?

Suppose you want to go beyond the directory, investment, and statistical information listed above?  Suppose the XYZ Corporation has developed a new widget and you would like to find out how it works and perhaps find out how much it costs to make each unit. You have looked everywhere on the company's Web site but can't seem to find the information you are looking for.  You have checked the technical literature but you have not found the information you are looking for.  

Chances are you are going to be out of  luck.  It is probably not in the best interests of the XYZ Corporation to make this information available to you and especially not to their competitors. The XYZ corporation will have invested considerable resources in the development of their new product and they have an interest in keeping information related to functioning, manufacturing, cost analyses, and distribution of this item confidential.

Over the course of your career, you may be asked to sign confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements by your employers concerned about protecting their proprietary information and trade secrets.