ORI, Inc., and SilverPlatter, Inc., have joined together in a joint venture to offer the ERIC database to the public on compact laser disc (CD-ROM). Data from both "Resources in Education" (RIE) and "Current Index to Journals in Education" (CIJE) will be offered on a single disc from January 1983 to the present (with the disc being updated every quarter). Data prior to 1983 will be offered on archival discs (two for RIE; one for CIJE). This case study reviews the various reasons why ERIC is interested in CD-ROM as a method of data dissemination and the reasons ORI chose to link with SilverPlatter in offering such a service. Some of the early experiences in developing the product are related: acquiring market information, configuring the product, developing the retrieval system, alpha testing, allocating corporate responsibilities, pricing, etc. It is noted that ERIC satisfies all five factors that have been cited as determining whether a product is likely to be successful if delivered on CD-ROM technology: (1) large volume of data; (2) stable data not requiring frequent updates; (3) geographically dispersed user community; (4) most users have access to microcomputers; and (5) additional processing enhances the value of the data delivered. (Author/JB)