The growth of engagement activities like games would give a brand deeper data on customer behaviour.

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Dunnhumby, a data-analysis firm, uses algorithms to crunch data on customer behaviour for a number of clients.

ECONOMIST: Algorithms

In its defence Amazon said that the prices people are offered had less to do with past purchasing decisions of customers and more to do with testing of customer behaviour.

BBC: Amazon's old customers 'pay more'

"We regret Ferrovial's decision to exclude Ryanair from the Stansted sale process and the failure of the Competition Commission to restrain this anti-competitive and anti-customer behaviour by Ferrovial, " the airline said.

BBC: Ryanair dismisses Stansted Airport bid

Once an agile billing solution is up and running, most companies still need the capability to analyze customer behaviour to identify the changes that need to be made in the first place.

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We were missing one vital piece of information about the service - but now we have the tariffs and the whole industry is examining what amounts to a huge gamble on customer behaviour.

BBC: Will you pay more for 4G?

The trick, says Robert Baldock, chief executive of Data Distilleries, a privately owned Dutch company, is to analyse customer behaviour in advance, so that a personalised offer can be made with a good chance that it will be accepted.

ECONOMIST: Enterprise software

He is justifying his behaviour first to Customer Dave and then to Mike Krahulik on that one day, in a series of emails between the morning (threatening to block Dave from cancelling and reordering the controllers) and late evening (threatening Penny Arcade with a smear campaign).

FORBES: Conclusion