By James McNair
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PlanetFeedback, the consumer pollster from Cincinnati's Digital Rhine, said Wednesday it has formed a partnership with the Council of Better Business Bureaus to develop whistleblower programs for public companies.

U.S. companies are required by the Corporate Reform Act of 2002 to implement systems that can accommodate employees' tips about corporate misconduct and financial wrongdoing. Systems must be in place by April.

The agreement calls for PlanetFeedback, which has developed consumer-feedback systems for companies such as Procter & Gamble and Nokia, and the BBB Council to develop a secure, easy-to-use system for employees to report unscrupulous acts by Web site, phone or mail. A key feature - at least from the whistleblower's viewpoint - will be the ability to leave tips anonymously.

"This is a logical extension of our expertise at capturing and routing feedback," said Pete Blackshaw, founder and chief marketing officer of PlanetFeedback. "We're pleased to offer a product that can help companies encourage feedback in a way that's trusted, impartial and in accordance with this new legislation."

The finished product will carry the seal of the Better Business Bureau, which has about 300,000 business members in North America.

"Our mission is to help companies achieve the highest standards of ethical conduct," said BBB Council President Ken Hunter. "There's a clear need for companies to implement key provisions of this act efficiently and in a way that will earn public confidence and trust."

PlanetFeedback is a division of Cincinnati-based Intelliseek.

E-mail jmcnair@enquirer.com