Data is the hot ticket in B2B. While the number of mergers and acquisitions in the Database and Information Services category fell slightly in 2016 versus 2015 (down from 59 to 56), deal value more than doubled to $41.7 billion, according to the Jordan, Edmiston Group.

“We’re talking about a data model if executed properly is very powerful, very lucrative,” said moderator Russell Perkins, head of InfoCommerce Group, kicking off one of the best sessions at BIMS last month, titled Everyone in the Pool.