• PrivateMIlitary.org is a private, independent, and non-profit initiative that offers people interested in "Private Military Companies" (or PMCs) and "Private Security Companies" (or PSCs), as well as the growing phenomena of the privatization of security, military outsourcing, and the convergence of security and development, an expert directory of hyperlinks pointing at key documents, firms, organizations, stream media, and services related to these topics. Our outreach now intersects diverse communities, social media, and Web 2.0 resources. To learn more about our fast expanding internet footprint please visit the REACHING US page.

• PrivateMIlitary.org went online early in 1999. The website was then of limited public access and aimed at a specialized audience. In March 2000, the website was re-designed in order to make it accessible to the general public. This versions was the first publicly linked to the PrivateMilitary.org domain.

• The aim sought by PrivateMilitary.org in 2000 remains:

Since the early 1990s, the world has witnessed the proliferation of Private Military Companies and Private Security Companies, which are legally established enterprises that profit from the offering of military and security-related expertise that used to be considered the preserve of the state. PrivateMilitary.org aims to be a useful and free source of information for those interested and participating in the debate about this growing business sector.

• Our audience is diverse, reflecting the growing interest in security privatization and military outsourcing trends: scholars, higher-education students, professional researchers, journalists, business organizations (in the supply and demand sides), international and non-governmental organizations, law enforcement personnel, private security specialists, servicemen, former servicemen, and military enthusiasts. Family folks concerned about the deployment of their loved ones to Iraq and Afghanistan have also joined our audience. All of them CONTRIBUTE to our work.

• While PrivateMIlitary.org has been a valuable source of information for those interested in PMCs and PSCs, it has also inadvertently established a trend by which other websites focusing on the subject follow our lead through the "borrowing" of categories, content, and outreach ideas. It is hoped that this trend will positively impact the understanding of the private military and security world.