System to solicit unknown corporate data

• US 20060111975A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Sien, Peng Chong, Fowler, James F., Fattahi, Saaed, Lenga, Kenneth R., Madhavan, Rajan, Moulton, Garth B.
• Application Number:
  US11/203,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111975A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled

Abstract

There is provided a method and system to generate corporate data pertaining to a corporate entity. The system includes an interface to communicate, from a data system and via a communications network, a request to a plurality of users of the data system for corporate information relating to a corporate entity and to receive, at the data system and via the communications network, first corporate information relating to the corporate entity from a first user of the plurality of users of the data system responsive to the request. The system further includes a stored value module automatically to provide a reward to the first user responsive to receipt of the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity.

Claims

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is to publish, via the communications network, the first corporate information to the plurality of users of the system.

7-1. The system of claim 1, wherein the stored value module is to:

immediately award a first portion of the reward responsive to the receipt of the first corporate information, and

to award a second portion of the reward subsequent to a verification event with respect to the first corporate information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the determined value and the total stored value for the first user comprised points that are exchangeable for information maintained by the data system.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, including publishing, via the communications network, the first corporate information to the plurality of users of the data system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the request for the corporate information is for unavailable corporate information that is unavailable from the corporate entity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the unavailable corporate information is at least one information item selected, group of information items including financial information for the corporate entity, a number of corporate employees of the corporate entity, employee organizational information for the corporate entity, and recommended contact information for the corporate entity.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the recommended contact information for the corporate entity is contact information in connection with provision of goods or services to the corporate entity.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, including determining an information type for the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity, and automatically determining a value of the reward based on the determined information type.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the reward is an award of predetermined value to the first user of the plurality of users, the computer-implemented method including adding the predetermined value to a total stored value for the first user maintained by the data system.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the determined value and the total stored value for the first user comprised points that are exchangeable for information maintained by the data system.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the automatic provision of the reward to the first user includes immediately awarding a first portion of the reward responsive to the receipt of the first corporate information, and awarding a second portion of the reward subsequent to a verification event was respect to the first corporate information.

8-2. A computer-implemented method to generate corporate data pertaining to a corporate entity, the method including:

communicating, from a data system and via a communications network, a request to a plurality of users of the data system for corporate information relating to a corporate entity;

receiving, at the data system and via the communications network, first corporate information relating to the corporate entity from a first user of the plurality of users of the data system responsive to the request, and

automatically providing a reward to the first user responsive to receipt of the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity.

17. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

communicate, from a data system and via a communications network, a request to a plurality of users of the data system for corporate information relating to a corporate entity; and

receive, at the data system and via the communications network, first corporate information relating to the corporate entity from a first user of the plurality of users of the data system responsive to the request; and

automatically to provide a reward to the first user responsive to receipt of the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity.

18. A system, the system including:

a first means for communicating, from a data system and via a communications network, a request to a plurality of users of the data system for corporate information relating to a corporate entity;

a second means for receiving, at the data system and via the communications network, first corporate information relating to the corporate entity from a first user of the plurality of users of the data system responsive to the request; and

a third means for automatically providing a reward to the first user responsive to receipt of the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity.