Jigsaw (website)
Encyclopedia
Jigsaw is an online business directory of companies and business professionals that is built, maintained and accessed by a worldwide community of over a million subscribers. A large database allows members to exchange and share the business information of more than 29 million contacts from over 4 million companies. This information consisting of what is commonly found on a business card.
Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Jigsaw Data Corporation was founded on January 1, 2004 by sales executives Jim Fowler and Garth Moulton and is funded by venture capital
firms El Dorado Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners
, and Austin Ventures
. On April 21, 2010, Salesforce.com
agreed to a $142 million in cash deal to purchase Jigsaw Data Corp. The acquisition was completed in May, 2010.
Jigsaw competes in an increasingly competitive database industry and utilizes a user-generated database that's continually updated by its members that leverages Web 2.0
technology (just like Wikipedia uses its viewers to update entries). Jigsaw's contacts act as a virtual business card, offering name, title, postal and email addresses and direct-dial phone numbers for individual contacts . Jigsaw, however, has grown to contain much more than just contact information. In April 2009 it launched its first Data as a Service
product, Jigsaw Data Fusion (now called Jigsaw for Salesforce), a cloud-based automated system for acquiring and managing CRM
records within a users Salesforce.com account.
While this crowd-sourced method of building business contacts has proven popular with recruiters, marketers and sales professionals, it has also raised questions of privacy as most of the site’s database is entered without permission from the person being listed. Jigsaw does, however, make it easy to remove business information on request as noted in December 2009 by TechCrunch
. However, recipients of these messages regard it as spam
and at least one complaint about receiving more spam after attempting to remove one's address have been noted.
Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Jigsaw Data Corporation was founded on January 1, 2004 by sales executives Jim Fowler and Garth Moulton and is funded by venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
firms El Dorado Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners
Norwest venture partners
Norwest Venture Partners is a global, multi-stage investment firm focused on investments in early to late stage venture and growth equity investments in U.S...
, and Austin Ventures
Austin Ventures
Austin Ventures is a private equity firm focused on venture capital and growth equity investments in business services and supply chain, financial services, new media, Internet, and information services companies nationally with a focus on Texas. The firm, which is based in Austin, Texas, was...
. On April 21, 2010, Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com is an enterprise cloud computing company headquartered in San Francisco that distributes business software on a subscription basis. Salesforce.com hosts the applications off-site...
agreed to a $142 million in cash deal to purchase Jigsaw Data Corp. The acquisition was completed in May, 2010.
Jigsaw competes in an increasingly competitive database industry and utilizes a user-generated database that's continually updated by its members that leverages Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
technology (just like Wikipedia uses its viewers to update entries). Jigsaw's contacts act as a virtual business card, offering name, title, postal and email addresses and direct-dial phone numbers for individual contacts . Jigsaw, however, has grown to contain much more than just contact information. In April 2009 it launched its first Data as a Service
Data as a Service
Data as a service, or DaaS, is a cousin of software as a service. Like all members of the "as a Service" family, DaaS is based on the concept that the product, data in this case, can be provided on demand to the user regardless of geographic or organizational separation of provider and consumer...
product, Jigsaw Data Fusion (now called Jigsaw for Salesforce), a cloud-based automated system for acquiring and managing CRM
Customer relationship management
Customer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...
records within a users Salesforce.com account.
Controversy
Credibility of provided information is a concern. Erroneous information concerning job title, e-mail address, employer, etc. are major complaints (yet common with many data providers). Removing personal information or correcting incorrect information may seem difficult, Jigsaw is one of the only data companies that allow people to remove their information.While this crowd-sourced method of building business contacts has proven popular with recruiters, marketers and sales professionals, it has also raised questions of privacy as most of the site’s database is entered without permission from the person being listed. Jigsaw does, however, make it easy to remove business information on request as noted in December 2009 by TechCrunch
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
. However, recipients of these messages regard it as spam
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
and at least one complaint about receiving more spam after attempting to remove one's address have been noted.