Yellow Pages Group will not seperate its print directory and online businesses.
Yellow Pages Group has hired its marketing director Blair Glubb to head its new Digital Media unit.
But company spokeswoman Lenska Papich says that does not mean print directories are on the way out.
Papich said print directories in New Zealand were maintaining growth better than in other
countries.
Chief executive Dudley Enoka said the online operation, called Yellow, had been made distinct from the rest of the company but it would not be a separate business.
He said the expansion of the digital operations were not affected by the decision last September to pull back from a bond issue of up to $150 million - a decision that coincided with upheavals in the global sharemarket.
The new digital team will bring together key people with digital media expertise from across the Yellow Pages Group, and include product developers and a dedicated online sales team.
"We recognise future growth in our industry will mainly come from digital media as more and more people use internet and mobile technology," Enoka said.
Yellow Pages Group was in negotiations with several other online players regarding partnerships. Announcements would be made soon, he added.
