LATEST version of UK-Info Disk is proving an indispensable directory for business in the South.

The CD-rom listing companies, addresses, and telephone numbers as well as individual address and telephone records throughout the United Kingdom, includes Northern Ireland and Ireland for the first time.

This brings the total number of people listed to 47 million. The Hamble company behind it says a new set of business data of up to 1.5 million records and a modified search engine which makes it easier to use.

A more powerful set of maps has also been added. Alastair Crawford, sales director, said: "All data included on the UK-Info Disk has been drawn from publicly-available information which using traditional search techniques would have taken days to complete just one search - this product has been reuniting people since it was launched. "It can lead you to long-lost friends in seconds.''

But when I-CD Publishing first appeared in the directory market in 1997 it was amidst a controversial blaze with BT.

Pundits also argued that it would induce a high profile crimewave.

Mr Crawford said: "There has been no crimewave; in fact this product is used by many police forces throughout the UK to combat crime.''

The company also owns the 192.com internet which is receiving more than one million visits a month and allows visitors to carry out basic searches of sites by subscription.

Since its launch the CD-rom has sold more than 650,000 copies

UK-Info disk sells for £39.95, and a map module can be added for £495.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.