On its 10th anniversary, First Call Corp., Boston, is trying to expand into new investment research areas, such as data storage and videoconferencing.
Bruce R. Fador, president and chief executive officer, said the firm wants to become an electronic depository for securities research reports.
Managers are now required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to keep research reports on file for six years, but First Call could store them electronically and eliminate the need for keeping boxfuls of paper, said Mr. Fador.
First Call has requested a "no-action" letter from the SEC on the depository service; Mr. Fador hopes to receive a response by the end of the year.
First Call also wants to develop video conferences to replace road shows and analyst conferences that accompany initial public offerings. Company officials are talking to other vendors about joint ventures to supply such facilities as satellite access.
Through its existing products, First Call already provides access to securities data from 53 brokerage firms and more than 1,000 U.S. corporations to money managers and pension funds that manage money internally. The information can be accessed directly or through third-party networks like Bridge or Quotron.
