“…Show yourself” – using this catch phrase, the new local branch-directory glenglobe.de was launched officially early in 2008.

This motto is aimed especially at small and medium-sized concerns, for which glenglobe.de is meant to be a platform. Undertakings are urged to present themselves and their team to the customers at large, and publicize their goods and services.

The management of glenglobe.de GmbH in Berlin, made public the launch in a press statement, and announced various functions available. Company owners are able to upload photo galleries, logos and background information (such as opening times, etc.) In addition, a virtual business card (vCard) is offered, on which they can display an image and contact details. One of the innovations offered (as yet unlike most USA or German local directories or search engines) is the provision of printable coupons/discount vouchers, which customers may download. Further, the visitor can also access events and current themes/news. All these three cornerstones of this service (i.e.. coupons, events and news) are easily edited and updated by subscribing firms and service providers, allowing glenglobe.de to call itself “the living online-directory.”

The location of a participating firm is displayed on a Google Map. Missing however is a route planner, which is unfortunate. However there are a bunch of other features, such as a “Recommend” button, a “Skype” option, or a counter that allows the registered undertaking to keep track of visitors to their entry, or the selection of “glenletters” (flags for future usage). ‘Glenletters’ allow visitors to subscribe to their firms of choice. Subscribers are informed as soon as any of their flagged companies have changed or updated their glenglobe.de presence.

This service is still in the Beta-phase, and at present, a company entry is offered free for 6 months, as announced by glenglobe.de director Anita Tusch in the company blog. The planned monthly cost after the beta-phase has been announced as 9,90 Euro (as seen in the FAQs). Companies need to commit to a minimum of one year’s subscription.

The idea of this offering is good. However at present there are very few entries, as the principle is based on the self-entry and participation of firms or service providers. As a consequence, the service is still relatively unusable by visitors, looking for goods and services in their immediate locality. The question is whether companies will accept the paid subscription model, after the end of the beta-phase. There are already numerous free local search services, such as Google Maps, where one can present a business to the public.