PrivateMIlitary.org went live early in 1999. The website was originally aimed at a highly specialized audience. In March 2000, the website was re-designed in order to make it available to the general public. This version of the website was the first publicly linked to the PrivateMilitary.org domain. Although our online and offline resources have expanded considerably ever since, the aim sought by PrivateMilitary.org in 2000 continues to guide the evolution of our enterprise:

Since the early 1990s, the world has witnessed the proliferation of Private Military Companies (PMCs) and Private Security Companies (PSCs), 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 and satisfied by its military and constabulary forces. 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 and its implications for global security.

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. People concerned about the deployment of their loved ones to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other fields of battle are also part of our audience. All these communities regularly offer feedback and CONTRIBUTE to our directories. Yes, our vast and ever evolving online footprint intersects social media. Please visit the REACHING US page to see some of the social media websites where we interact with our audience and the general public —feel free to say hello if you come across us in any of those forums!

Indeed, PrivateMIlitary.org could have a cooler website and perhaps engineer an "instant gratification" platform. However, that would cost and undermine our free and universal access principle. How many of the websites you have visited over the last decade started as free-access and now charge monthly fees? How many websites now profit from selling the information you provided them with after creating your 'free access' account? Well, since 1999 we remain a free, not-for-profit and no-sign-in resource and in the process, have helped many people to complete their degrees or get new jobs !