McFadden says that eventually, when SOCIALSPREADS starts to see more clear trends develop with increasing amount of data generated by users and the site begins to recognize consistent winners and losers, he will charge money in a premium package for that information of consistent winners, losers, and geographical information, but the basic lines will continue to be free.

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People on the ground can also use a geographical information system that displays farmer contact data, farm size and location, tree inventory and price information, which makes it easier to forecast and optimize cashew collection.

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Most existing GIS, or geographical information services, sell on-site proprietary software packages that cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several million dollars.

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Businesses must operate in a fluid manner, be responsive to changing markets, and remain competitive in a highly dynamic environment, while at the same time ensuring that they remain in control of their information and adhere to corporate and geographical compliance requirements.

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Robert Iati of TowerGroup, a firm of consultants, points out that broking firms, for example, use information from a wide variety of sources, trading and payment systems, geographical locations and business units.

ECONOMIST: Security and financial services