Reuters' Research Strategy Has Multex Play Key Role

WITH an increasingly close alliance with Multex Systems in one hand and a brand-new broker research distribution strategy of its own in the other, Reuters (abetted by Internet technologies) is shaping up to be the single biggest threat yet to the market dominance of Thomson Financial Services' First Call. While these initiatives may prove to be less than the two vendors make them out to be--especially given the current Internet-driven rush of new competitors to the research marketplace-