Danielle N Smith

US Patent:

20160004728, Jan 7, 2016

Filed:

Sep 11, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/851293

Inventors:

- Wilmington DE, US
David Y. CHOI - Ft. Lee NJ, US
Young Choon LEE - Monroe NJ, US
Jon William SAWYER - Elmwood Park NJ, US
Danielle L. SMITH - New York NY, US
Atul K. SRIVASTAVA - Edison NJ, US
Michael A. VAPENIK - Berkley Hights NJ, US

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

Abstract:

In an enterprise where a database maintains multiple accounts for business customers, a method, system, and computer program product correctly links accounts which are associated with a common business. Business identification information from one or more external data sources is obtained and the format of the business identification data is standardized. Data records of business accounts are compared according to a plurality of rules for matching one business account to another. When two business accounts are found to match according to the business matching rules, a common identifier is applied to both business accounts to flag the two accounts as being associated with the same business entity. One or more hierarchy rules are applied to accounts associated with a common business, to establish a hierarchy among the accounts for purposes of marketing and other business communications.