Jane's Information Group (often referre to as Jane's) was founded by Fred T. Jane in 1898. Jane began by sketching ships as an enthusiast, and this gradually developed into an encyclopedic knowledge, culminating in the publishing of All the World's Fighting Ships. The company Jane founded gradually branched out into other arenas of military expertise. The books and trade magazines published by Jane's are often considered the de facto public source of information on warfare and transportation systems.