
Dun and Bradstreet teams up with Microsoft to reimagine the power of data - milly1993
https://news.microsoft.com/2017/07/19/dun-bradstreet-teams-up-with-microsoft-to-reimagine-the-power-of-data-in-the-cloud/#7247r5Xopvz7ZodT.97
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cdolan
From my perspective, D&B is in the business of scaring SMBs into paying for a
'cleaner credit report' for thousands per year. Its always seemed like a big
sham to me, and thats after 6 years of receiving taunting letters that 'my
credit report has been requested, and for only $5,000, I can close more deals
by looking stronger from a credit perspective!"

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Animats
D&B made a terrible mistake in 2010. They let a startup in Malibu use the D&B
name and take over some D&B services for small businesses. The startup called
itself "Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp". Their business model involved
cold-calling companies and giving the impression that unless they paid D&BCC,
their credit rating would get worse. This caused terrible publicity for D&B,
lawsuits, extortion charges[1] and eventually settlements. D&B finally bought
D&BCC for $360 million in 2015.[2]

This destroyed the reputation of a once-respected company.

[1] [https://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-
intelligence/2014/01/21/dun-...](https://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-
intelligence/2014/01/21/dun-bradstreet-will-face-charges-over-credit-ratings/)
[1] [http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/apr/29/dun-
bradstreet...](http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/apr/29/dun-bradstreet-
buys-back-former-unit/)

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javiramos
D&B is one of those companies that I wonder: Why are they still around? There
should be a better way. They feel extremely legacy. Interfacing with their
software and customer service infrastructure is always a painful experience
for me.

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meri_dian
Companies have no incentive to share information about themselves to anyone
other than the government and credit agencies. So given that constraint what
D&B does is the most efficient way. And they're already so dominant it's hard
for competitors to break into their business. So they have monopoly power and
can afford to have bad software.

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_nalply
If you do iOS development as an organisation, you need a D-U-N-S number,
because Apple relies on them identifying organisations. And now Microsoft.
Horror of horrors!

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swiley
I already do not use linkedin because their tools will trick you into doing
things that have serious real world consequences. Now that Microsoft is
connected with these people anything they make that sends back telemetry can
potentially affect your credit report.

If there was ever a practical argument for the average person not using their
products this it.

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btrautsc
So MSFT dynamics/ CRM products will now have a Data.com alternative (terrible)
with prospecting functionality.

The heating of MSFT v SFDC continues.

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nihonde
D&B and whole DUNS number racket are the living antithesis of innovation.

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mtanski
flagged as PR release, no actual startup / tech content

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forgottenacc57
Meh.

