ABOUT SWISSFIRMS
SWISSFIRMS promotes member companies of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Switzerland (
CCIS) and supports them in their daily business activities. The website provides up-to-date information on the Swiss economy and its companies:
- an efficient search engine with addresses, company structures and financial information regarding 15'000 member companies of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Switzerland;
- selection and marketing of business addresses for specially targeted mailings;
- customized internet applications (visibility options, domain names, credit assessments) developed by SWISSFIRMS or its partners.
Some of our products are reserved for our members, while other services are available to all Swiss and international customers.
The website is administered by SWISSFIRMS Data SA. This independent company was founded on January 1, 2001 by the
CCIS and
VTX Telecom (formerly known as the Smart Telecom Group), a specialized provider of telecommunications and internet services.
The CCIS and their partners are jointly responsible for promoting and marketing the services of the website throughout the country.
HISTORY
The origins of SWISSFIRMS date back to 1976, with the publication of the first edition of the «Fichier industriel romand et tessinois (FIRTI)». Thanks to the publication of this directory, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the French and Italian-speaking areas of Switzerland gained valuable experience in the handling and presentation of company information (addresses, information on company structures, etc.).
The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Switzerland were quick to recognize the potential of an electronic version, which they began to publish via Videotex and Minitel as from 1990. The internet version was launched in the autumn of 1995.
For more than twenty years, FIRTI served as a valuable tool for the promotion of industrial companies in the French and Italian speaking areas. Over this period, the database was continually extended until it contained not only the addresses of industrial companies but also information on all corporate members of the CCIS, including those in the German-speaking areas. The name FIRTI was dropped in 1997.
The new database was given the name SWISSFIRMS. Its main objective was to improve the marketing of its services throughout the country, to the benefit of corporate members of the CCIS.
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Switzerland (
CCIS) is the umbrella association of the 18 cantonal Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Switzerland.
The main aims of CCIS are:
- Promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the cantonal CCIS
- Be a partner of Switzerland-Global Enterprise (S-GE)
- Represent the political and economic interests of the CCIS within the economiesuisse organisation
- Jointly develop and promote services
- Represent the CCIS in European committees
The Chambers of Commerce and Industry are associations under private law with a voluntary membership. Their main services and objectives are:
- Authentication of export documents
- Issuance of ATA carnets
- Business development
- Improvement of the business environment
- Creation and support of business networks
They also offer a wide range of additional services, which can vary from one CCIS to another, such as legal advice, labour law or commercial mediation courses and social contribution services.