The idea was to use a unified database to make sure that different programs, say for financial planning or human resources, worked with the same information.

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Aside from a kind of viral marketing for their startup, it also helps them to create a database of malware and other unwanted programs that increases the effectiveness of Jumpshot with every scan.

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To achieve this, Facebook says it works with a company, Datalogix, that controls a vast database culled from people's use of loyalty-card programs.

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With the latest technology, says Cho, the bank can measure the profitability of every branch employee and customer, mine its customer database and run sophisticated risk-management and credit-analysis programs.

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