In the mid 1990's, the founders of CognitiveDATA held ownership in a company that purchased a mail order fulfillment system with an install base of over 150 catalog and retailers. By the end of the 1990s, with web commerce systems gaining ground, it became clear multi-channel merchants needed tighter integration between their ecommerce and mail order fulfillment systems to facilitate the customer experience and ensure operational integrity. However, it became painfully obvious that commercial address integrity processes and de-duplication matching developed in the 1980’s were terribly incapable of accurately synchronizing identity and address information across the catalog, web, and retail store environments. It was clear the industry was in need of new science and advanced soft computing technologies to solve this massive problem. The pioneers of CognitiveDATA recognized the market's need and in 2001, CognitiveDATA was born.

Upon careful investigation, inaccurate addresses and minor deviations in spelling emerged as major culprits that typically prevent firms from recognizing their customers across channels. Our first mission was to marshal the database engineering technology that could eradicate the flaws inherent in the industry's standard techniques for matching and processing of millions of customer records. Older, more traditional matching 'algorithms' were clearly ill-equipped to manage a dynamic and mobile population purchasing from multiple outlets. CognitiveDATA's solutions employ “fuzzy logic” soft computing concepts in conjunction with customer data integration technology and reference-based matching intelligence. These concepts are embedded in a single pass process flow that is specifically designed for mail processes that micro-measure mailing results. Since 2001, our customer recognition and address hygiene solutions have enabled hundreds of marketers and merchants to more accurately identify, target and reach their branded buyers.

In the end, it’s our roots in an industry that measures response performance to the record level that have allowed us to grow and prosper. What's our secret sauce? Unbridled entrepreneurship, unrivaled technology and rigorous customer expectations. With this formula, we've been able to deliver lucidly accurate customer location and recognition systems to the doorsteps of industry that scrutinizes and measures each and every record for its cost, response and overall contribution to value. With any luck, we just might be around to rally the next revolution.