Reed Elsevier Inc.

Terry Hamer

Ralph Edward Brendler

A relationship management system stores multiple versions of contact information for a particular contact by storing the contact information that is available to all of the users of system that know a particular contact in a firm collection and by storing information about the particular contact that is available to a limited number of users that know the particular contact in one or more user collections. When changes are made to the user collection for a particular contact, the system detects the change, and based upon a number of administrative rules determines whether the change should be contributed to the firm collection. The system may automatically make the corresponding changes to each of the contact files within the firm collection or may recommend to the user whether the change should be promoted, allowing the users to accept or reject the recommendation. Preferably, each user will be provided with a default number of days to accept or reject the recommendation, after which the system may promote the contact information automatically.

Managing changes in a relationship management system

A relationship management system stores multiple versions of contact information for a particular contact by storing the contact information that is available to all of the users of system that know a particular contact in a firm collection and by storing information about the particular contact that is available to a limited number of users that know the particular contact in one or more user collections. When changes are made to the firm collection for a particular contact, which can occur automatically when any user changes the contact file for that contact within his or her user collection, the change is reflected back to each of the users a having contact file for that contact within their user collection. The same change may be automatically made to each of the contact files within the user collections or may be reported to the users and allow the users to accept or reject the same change to the user collections owned by those users. Preferably, each user can control or specify, on a contact by contact basis, how a change to the firm collection for a contact effects or is reflected within the contact file for that contact within that user's user collection.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Terry Hamer