The comprehensive market study conducted in late 1993 among 1,400 consumers allowed participants to actually use a working version of the electronic directory using an InfoReader unit provided for research by InfoPak Corp. of Phoenix, Arizona. According to Sean Lee, the president of InfoPak, "Our technology now allows over one million listings to be available on a single PCMCIA card (about the overall dimensions of a plastic credit card, but about twice as thick."

Each participant in the research used a working prototype of the handheld digital directory to find phone numbers, addresses and zip codes to generally get a feeling of what the phone book of the future might be like. After using the prototypes, all 1,400 respondents responded to a detailed series of questions giving their reaction to the product and their willingness to pay for this device. Discussing the results, James R. Heiman, President of First Market Research Corp., said, "the remarkable finding is that nine in ten across the demographic spectrum voiced a favorable initial reaction to the product and almost half are willing to pay a monthly fee to rent one even though they all receive a conventional phone book for free. This means that the phone companies can likely reduce the expense of publishing as many printed directories as at present and turn a cost center into a profit center." Mr. Heiman added, "Consumers particularly praised the concept for the speed and ease of use along with the device's light weight which affords great portability."

First Market Research said the multi-client study (available for purchase at a price of $17,500) provides detailed information showing the level of interest at three different pricing points and the need for updates at three different frequencies by area, sex, income and a variety of other variables. Since 1983 First Market Research has conducted dozens of studies for various Bell and non-Bell operating companies regarding a wide variety of business and residence listings, many of which now are regularly seen in the nation's phone directories including Signature and Family Space listings in various residential pages in the Southwestern Bell directories and Designer Listings in some BellSouth directories. Business listings such as Logo Listings and Banner Listings are other examples. Since 1967 First Market Research Corporation has conducted primary market research studies for a wide variety of clients.