Jigsaw offers B2B directory | Bangkok Post: tech

DATA AS A SERVICE

Jigsaw is offering a business directory of US companies through what they call Data as a Service using crowd sourcing techniques to keep the data up-to date. In the words of CEO Jim Fowler, it has done to business to business databases what Wikipedia has done to Britannica.

The database of over 19 million businesses in the English-speaking world has complete data for company names, titles, phone numbers, email and addresses via its website at jigsaw.com. The idea is that instead of building up the database, owning the data and spending an inordinate amount of time and resources maintaining the data, Data as a Service means that the data is always fresh and correct.

Most of users access the database for free in exchange for maintaining it. For every record inserted, updated or graveyarded, the user gets credit for a contact record in exchange. Of course, the other way to gain access is to pay for it.

One main revenue stream is corporate licensing, taking those 17.5 million records to corporations who license them on a yearly basis.

The other is Jigsaw Fusion, an API that integrates the system with Salesforce.com's cloud computing, as well as with Oracle and Microsoft Dot Net. This gives unlimited access for $99 (3,300 baht) a seat a month.

As the service includes data for companies focused on the English-speaking world, the reason Thai users would be interested is if they are looking to do business in the US and searching for a business partner.

"If we don't get you to the exact right person, we will get you to the cube stationed next to him," Fowler said.

India is one of the biggest maintainers of the system who work hard on keeping records up to date for access credits. On the other extreme, the UK market mostly sees people just buying records for a dollar each.

Privacy is a big issue especially and Jigsaw complies with all laws. Each person added is given instructions on how to remove, amend or annotate their accounts. However, Fowler says that in practice information can already be found and bought freely on the market and what he is focusing on rather is providing clean, accurate data.