Despite investment in new research tools and techniques, the product development success rate has not improved within the last 25 years. One way to increase the success rate is to have the right information at each stage of the process. Today, a relatively new method of gathering information--online access to electronic files called databases--helps make this job easier than ever before. Although online access cannot answer all the questions, it simplifies what otherwise is time-consuming and difficult. It also expands the range of readily available information. Examples from six databases--Predicasts U.S. Time Series, INSPEC, ABI/INFORM, PROMT Market Abstracts, New York Times Information Bank, and Disclosure II--illustrate the application of online access systems to product development. It is argued that success in product development depends on getting information into the hands of the individuals who can produce winners, and that online access is an important means to this end. The appendix consists of two tables: Selected Online Systems, which provides the system name, principal focus, availability, and address for 10 systems; and Selected Online Databases, which gives the file name, subject, number of entries, source, and systems for nine databases. (DMC)