Who really owns customer data?

Companies dedicate significant amounts of manpower, dollars and research collecting and maintaining the data that is the lifeblood of their business, and they are naturally protective of it. However, who really "owns" it? How have the ways we approach, access and interact with this information affected our perspectives on data ownership?

Managers need to rethink their policies based on the changing environment. Basic company and contact data no longer represent a competitive advantage. Anyone can have a "Big Gun" Rolodex in his or her holster. The Web 2.0 sales and marketing herd can easily access this data now. My perspective is that the market is moving toward the concept of "co-ownership."

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