Corporations everywhere are looking for ways to wring cash out of the mountains of data collected daily, and some, including Citigroup (NYSE: C), have turned that data into a business all its own. Citigroup created Bundle.com, which aggregates transaction data to generate insight into consumer spending trends. Bundle.com, which was spun off in 2009, is now looking into selling anonymous purchasing information--such as spending on healthcare, child care, food and beverages--to businesses that could use it for marketing, according to a report by Laurie Burkitt in Forbes.

MasterCard and American Express have developed similar divisions. MasterCard's Advisors Merchants Solutions analyzes data from the company's 340 million customers and then uses the results in consulting services aimed at retailers. AmEx's Business Insights unit helps retailers get a clearer view into the habits of high-spending consumers.

Web companies, such as Clearspring Technologies, are also becoming known for transforming data into a new form of revenue. Proponents maintain that just about any company can find ways to turn its data into a greater asset.

For more:
- see Laurie Burkitt's article in Forbes

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