Execs Go Online for Business Intelligence

Getting the most up-to-date business information has always been important for business executives. In the past, they scoured newspapers and the trades for information and insights on trends and developments. But now, to find information fast, they turn to the Internet.

According to the "Rise of the Digital C-Suite" study from Forbes Insights and Google, the Internet has become the most valuable information resource for US executives.

Online ranked ahead of at-home and at-work contacts, personal networks, trade publications and outside consultants as an information resource. Newspapers and magazines trailed behind.

When it comes to locating business information online, search engines were rated higher than other digital tools, such as blogs, social networking sites and subscription search services.

The most important information executives searched for online was competitor analysis (53%), followed by customer trends (41%), corporate developments (39%), technology trends (38%) and compliance and legal issues (26%).

Surprisingly, 53% of executives preferred to gather information themselves rather than delegate research tasks to employees.

"Senior executives of all ages found the Internet to be a profoundly useful tool," wrote the survey authors.

Online information sources will likely grow in importance, as executives under age 50 use new media tools more often than their older counterparts.

C-suites will be even more wired in the future.