Spanos also sought investors who could help him solve problems of data analysis, technology, and marketing to a large organization, such as how best to approach, say, Bank of America (BAC).

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The software company hopes to prove that its data collection and analysis technology so that it could win a long-term contract with the water district and perhaps other utilities as well.

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As important as the funding is, DOE will also partner with the award winners to address issues such as market analysis, technology development, deployment, instrumentation and data analysis, the mitigation of environmental impacts, and grid interconnection.

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Without question, TIA represented a radical leap ahead in both data-mining technology and intelligence analysis.

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Palantir offers highly sophisticated data analysis software that grew out of PayPal technology designed to detect fraudulent activity online.

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YouNoodle co-founder Bob Goodson says he ditched the idea of making predictions in 2010, and instead applied his knowledge of large-scale data analysis to launch a new venture that identifies technology trends for large companies and governments.

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What do we really want when we start using technology for reporting and analysis of data?

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And Verizon could face big hurdles in getting the new technology adopted, says Amy DeCarlo, principal analyst, security and data center services at Current Analysis in Sterling, Virginia.

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From a technology coverage point of view, as opposed to politics coverage, Yahoo could bring this type of data analysis and prediction engine to other content verticals.

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