Private investors, previously left in the dark with little or no access to company news and information outside of shareholder circulars or the financial press, now have immediate and real-time access to news and information thanks to the Internet. Around the world, investor relations (IR) directors are examining how they can use the Internet to reach their investors and open up a dialogue with them. Many of the more progressive directors are already using company Web sites to keep investors informed on a daily basis. Also benefiting investors is the current process of unifying accounting standards, which will force companies to be more exact when making their investment case or risk falling out of favor with investors. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also recently voted in favor of Regulation Fair Disclosure, which requires unhindered access to company briefings. With new standards, like XML and XBRL, as well as new accounting standards, a plethora of corporate data will be scanable and extractable to investors.