BlueKai

BlueKai is a cloud-based big data platform that enables companies to personalize online, offline, and mobile marketing campaigns.^[1] BlueKai was acquired by Oracle on February 24, 2014, for around $400 million. Originally, BlueKai was created in 2008 by Omar Tawakol, Alexander Hooshmand, and Grant Ries, beginning as a marketing tech start-up based out of Cupertino, California.^[2]

The company offers services relating to third party data collecting. BlueKai collects PC & smartphone users' data to enhance ad marketing for their clients, and has about 700 million actionable profiles.^[3] BlueKai has previously worked with companies like Twitter and Facebook to ensure relevancy in the ads that appear for those companies' users. As a third party data collecting company, they collect information on users surfing the web, though BlueKai does not collect information like sensitive financial details, adult material, or health issues.^[4] Still, the company has received criticism because users feel services like those they provide are an invasion of privacy.^[5]

Other clients and sites using BlueKai's services are Live.com, Huffingtonpost.com, Walmart.com, Vimeo.com, Microsoft.com,and eBay.com.^[6]

References

1. "About Us".
2. Bort, Julie. "CONFIRMED: Oracle Buys Marketing Tech Startup BlueKai". BusinessInsider.com. Business Insider News. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
3. Owens, Jeremy C. "Oracle adds Cupertino big-data startup BlueKai to cloud marketing purchases". San Jose Mercury News. Mercury News. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
4. Bailey, Brandon. "Omar Tawakol, CEO of BlueKai, on using Big Data to target ads". Mercury News. San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
5. Constantine, Lucian. "Cleared your browser cookies? It won't stop ad company using Verizon tracking header". networld.com. NetWorld. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
6. "BlueKai Partner Program". Bluekai.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.