BtoB Online reports that the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers will no longer be published - at least in print - after the 2006 edition of the industrial buyer's bible is issued. The Thomas Industrial Network announced Tuesday that it will instead make all its publications available online, saying the decision was a culmination of "an over 10-year transition to the internet as the primary information source of the industrial market." Referred to as the "Big Green Books," the Register as well as the Thomas Regional Buying Guides will be discontinued in print. The information will continue to be available, free of charge, at www.ThomasNet.com.

ClickZ writes that ThomasNet was formed in August 2004 to house the Thomas Register and Buying Guides online and provide free listings to any industrial business, with enhanced listings and placement available for a fee. Half the traffic to the database is from direct-to-site visitors; the other half arrives as a result of the company's search engine marketing efforts.

Thomas has transitioned from selling traffic to manufacturers' sites to providing them with content and marketing services, including online catalogs, e-commerce capability, web site development, search engine optimization and search engine marketing campaigns.