AN INTERNET company based on Teesside has announced it is officially the biggest online business directory in Europe.

The news follows the launch of the directory in another two countries this week.

The launches in Spain and Italy mean the number of countries now covered by the AskAlix directory totals 11 - seven more than its closest competitor Scoot.

Commercial director Chris Johnson said: "We are now covering more countries than any of our competitors.

"We have 11 at present and will have 17 by the end of the year. This will mean a total of 22 million businesses across Europe. As a single organisation, we publish more business records than any other European directory."

The success of the company in Europe follows the launch of an office in France last month.

The Paris base gave the company its first physical presence in the heart of Europe, opening doors for further European business opportunities and partnerships.

"We are delighted with our successes in Europe so far and have already developed partnerships with some major European companies,"said Mr Johnson. With the problems dotcoms are having at the moment, commentators think it is encouraging a young company from the North-East of England is bucking the trend."

The directory is a powerful tool allowing real-time updating of business details. Customers may access their listings via a secure user name and password, and can update fields in real-time, without going via a helpdesk or sales floor.