DUNSRight and XBRL Enhancing Transparency through a Common Commitment to Global Standards

1. DUNSRight and XBRL � Enhancing Transparency through a Common Commitment to Global Standards 13th XBRL International Congress June, 2006

2. 2 Business has evolved since Dun & Bradstreet was founded in 1841, but the value of its information has not changed

3. 3 For D&B, it is a momentous opportunity to share with you and your great brands a piece of the D&B Brand that will signal globally our unique and powerful alliance The D&B Worldwide Network mark was developed to help companies communicate their alliance with D&B in a clear and compelling way and establish brand unity with D&B Worldwide Network partners around the worldFor D&B, it is a momentous opportunity to share with you and your great brands a piece of the D&B Brand that will signal globally our unique and powerful alliance The D&B Worldwide Network mark was developed to help companies communicate their alliance with D&B in a clear and compelling way and establish brand unity with D&B Worldwide Network partners around the world

4. 4 We have implemented strategic relationships around the world in over 24 markets � this is the foundation of our Worldwide Network Background info � partners in Asia Pacific: Japan : TSR (Tokyo Shoko Research) 1998 Thailand : BOL (Business On-Line) - 1998 Singapore : ICDNB SG (InfoCreditD&B Singapore) � 2000 Malaysia : ICDNB MY (InfoCreditD&B Malaysia) � 2001 Australia : D&B Australasia � 2001 New Zealand : D&B Australasia � 2001 S. Korea : D&B Korea � 2002 Indonesia : IBI (IndoBizInfo) � 2003 India : D&B SAME � 2004 Philippines : D&B Philippines - 2004 Background info � partners in Asia Pacific: Japan : TSR (Tokyo Shoko Research) 1998 Thailand : BOL (Business On-Line) - 1998 Singapore : ICDNB SG (InfoCreditD&B Singapore) � 2000 Malaysia : ICDNB MY (InfoCreditD&B Malaysia) � 2001 Australia : D&B Australasia � 2001 New Zealand : D&B Australasia � 2001 S. Korea : D&B Korea � 2002 Indonesia : IBI (IndoBizInfo) � 2003 India : D&B SAME � 2004 Philippines : D&B Philippines - 2004

5. 5 Today, D&B�s partners contribute more than 35% of the 105 million records in our Worldwide Network database

6. 6 The process for enhancing data that all Worldwide Network Partners share is called DUNSRightTM

7. 7 The D&B Worldwide Network Partners also share a definition of information quality D&B measures data quality based on these appropriate measures: Accuracy � having the right information on the right business, in the right place. Completeness � providing breadth and depth of data, without creating duplicates. Timeliness � making sure frequent updates are made to keep the information fresh. Cross-Border Consistency � providing consistent data across the globe. D&B measures data quality based on these appropriate measures: Accuracy � having the right information on the right business, in the right place. Completeness � providing breadth and depth of data, without creating duplicates. Timeliness � making sure frequent updates are made to keep the information fresh. Cross-Border Consistency � providing consistent data across the globe.

8. 8 The D&B Worldwide Network Partners deliver the transparency required by credit markets � combining local expertise with global standards Global commitment to standards for accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and cross-border consistency Thought leadership in working with regulators and other market participants in countries and regions that are adopting XBRL standards such as the U.K., Sweden, Japan, and Spain Active monitoring of XBRL standards development in other countries and regions READ HEADLINE For example, looking at each driver (read 2-3 improvements and tie to customer benefit) That being said - we still have more work to do So based on customer feedback - we have identified gaps that we plan to close Now we will review how we will close the gaps Duplicate Rate is U.S. only Note: Past 5 years = 2000-2005READ HEADLINE For example, looking at each driver (read 2-3 improvements and tie to customer benefit) That being said - we still have more work to do So based on customer feedback - we have identified gaps that we plan to close Now we will review how we will close the gaps Duplicate Rate is U.S. only Note: Past 5 years = 2000-2005

9. 9 XBRL has the potential to enhance accuracy and timeliness by facilitating . . . Over the next three years, our priorities will consist of a few �big� ideas to close these gaps For 2005, we�ve designed a 3 year roadmap for the next steps we will take to get to most trusted We will (review 5 ideas) And it is focused on 5 �big� ideas to close the gaps we know will make quantum improvements in: Real gaps and some customers� perceptions Customer�s abilities to make more decisions with confidence As a result, we expect our customers will: get an answer 100% of the time feel good about the quality, completeness and timeliness of DUNSRight receive new and better insight from us If need to drill down into the HOW: Super 7 - modeling, customer data, strategic partners, bulk data China - double byte and multiple source data acquisition strategy 100% - consumer data, product availability rules, match fine tuning Linkage - Global focus Predictive Indicators - Getting the right trade on the right companies, focusing initially on NA and Europe Over the next three years, our priorities will consist of a few �big� ideas to close these gaps For 2005, we�ve designed a 3 year roadmap for the next steps we will take to get to most trusted We will (review 5 ideas) And it is focused on 5 �big� ideas to close the gaps we know will make quantum improvements in: Real gaps and some customers� perceptions Customer�s abilities to make more decisions with confidence As a result, we expect our customers will: get an answer 100% of the time feel good about the quality, completeness and timeliness of DUNSRight receive new and better insight from us If need to drill down into the HOW: Super 7 - modeling, customer data, strategic partners, bulk data China - double byte and multiple source data acquisition strategy 100% - consumer data, product availability rules, match fine tuning Linkage - Global focus Predictive Indicators - Getting the right trade on the right companies, focusing initially on NA and Europe

10. 10 D&B�s Worldwide Network Partners are creating the building blocks needed to deliver XBRL D&B has invested in achieving common global data definitions for the Worldwide Network through the development of its Standard Data Architecture These global data standards are built on 2 foundational principles: All data is global Data is modelled generically D&B has created a Standard Data Architecture for Business-to-Business data exchange using XML through the deployment of its Global Standard Record Layout (GSRL) Super 7: the foundational data elements that enable customers to find, qualify and contact businesses. The Super 7 data elements are: Business Name, Address, Phone, Principal Name/Title, SIC, Sales and Employees Informa: business partner in Spain WorldBase: D&B�s central, global database. WorldBase contains data on businesses in more than 200 countries NextGen Matching Technology: NextGen uses an expanded number of different matching algorithms to find more accurate, consistent matches. For example, ABC Inc can be matched to All Business Company Inc; an address for a loading dock at the back of a large factory facility can be matched to the address for the front door of the facility using geography intelligence. Duplicate: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Orphan: An unlinked entity having characteristics of a linked record. Further investigation is required to determine linkage status Linked Records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Insolvency Data: information that tells you a company has gone bankrupt, into receivership or no longer has funds to cover their obligations Paydex Score: a calculation that reveals the average number of days in which a company pays their bills Belgium � over 600% improvement over 2004Super 7: the foundational data elements that enable customers to find, qualify and contact businesses. The Super 7 data elements are: Business Name, Address, Phone, Principal Name/Title, SIC, Sales and Employees Informa: business partner in Spain WorldBase: D&B�s central, global database. WorldBase contains data on businesses in more than 200 countries NextGen Matching Technology: NextGen uses an expanded number of different matching algorithms to find more accurate, consistent matches. For example, ABC Inc can be matched to All Business Company Inc; an address for a loading dock at the back of a large factory facility can be matched to the address for the front door of the facility using geography intelligence. Duplicate: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Orphan: An unlinked entity having characteristics of a linked record. Further investigation is required to determine linkage status Linked Records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Insolvency Data: information that tells you a company has gone bankrupt, into receivership or no longer has funds to cover their obligations Paydex Score: a calculation that reveals the average number of days in which a company pays their bills Belgium � over 600% improvement over 2004

11. 11 Principle #1, that all data is global, overturns the traditional view that only data that is available in every country is of interest globally Marketable Records for China: a record is marketable in China if it has the following criteria: must not be out of business and must have a business name and must have an address and must have a valid SIC/Line of Business (cannot be undetermined) and cannot be undeliverable or a record that the customer has requested NOT be included in any deliverables and must have an update date within 24 months Active Records: business records that have NOT been identified as out of business via existing update processes Double Byte Matching: Matching platform that allows D&B to match on the symbols common in Asian languages China Double Byte Matching: In Q3 all pieces of the process needed for Double Byte matching passed unit testing successfully. The next step will be integration of the end-to-end workflow. MatchGrade & Confidence Codes: Feedback on the match is now available for the first time in Japan. This feedback allows customers to understand why a match was made or not made. It also allows customers to identify which of their unmatched records that have strong potential for a match. Customers now have feedback on what data elements are causing the largest gaps in creating strong matches (e.g. records are commonly missing a valid street address, or better accuracy around company name is necessary for a higher degree of confidence in the match) Linked Records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Family Trees: a group of records that are related or linked in ownership where one company owns 50% or more of another company�s assets or is a secondary location of another company. A family tree includes all headquarter, subsidiary, branch and division locations for a related group of records Top China Family Tree Program: Program that focuses on the largest Chinese companies and building out their family tree linkage data Trade Experiences: data that reflects how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered Matched Trade: payment experiences that have a DUNS number associated with them Marketable Records for China: a record is marketable in China if it has the following criteria: must not be out of business and must have a business name and must have an address and must have a valid SIC/Line of Business (cannot be undetermined) and cannot be undeliverable or a record that the customer has requested NOT be included in any deliverables and must have an update date within 24 months Active Records: business records that have NOT been identified as out of business via existing update processes Double Byte Matching: Matching platform that allows D&B to match on the symbols common in Asian languages China Double Byte Matching: In Q3 all pieces of the process needed for Double Byte matching passed unit testing successfully. The next step will be integration of the end-to-end workflow. MatchGrade & Confidence Codes: Feedback on the match is now available for the first time in Japan. This feedback allows customers to understand why a match was made or not made. It also allows customers to identify which of their unmatched records that have strong potential for a match. Customers now have feedback on what data elements are causing the largest gaps in creating strong matches (e.g. records are commonly missing a valid street address, or better accuracy around company name is necessary for a higher degree of confidence in the match) Linked Records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Family Trees: a group of records that are related or linked in ownership where one company owns 50% or more of another company�s assets or is a secondary location of another company. A family tree includes all headquarter, subsidiary, branch and division locations for a related group of records Top China Family Tree Program: Program that focuses on the largest Chinese companies and building out their family tree linkage data Trade Experiences: data that reflects how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered Matched Trade: payment experiences that have a DUNS number associated with them

12. 12 Principle #2, that data is modelled generically, reduces the need for change and thus minimizes costs Here is an example of specific versus generic definition: The specific International Dialling Code for France is 33 If viewed as the �French International Dialling Code� it might be concluded that this is specific local data and defined accordingly The �US International Dialling Code� and the �UK International Dialling Code� etc. are defined on an ad-hoc basis as local data If viewed generically as the �International Dialling Code� then this is seen as global data; it is only the field content which differs by country This may seem obvious but the challenge is to apply the same logic to all data. By defining data generically so that only field content is country specific a consistent Standard Data Architecture can be defined for all countries Active Records: business records that have NOT been identified as out of business via existing update processes Marketable Records for Argentina: a record is marketable in Argentina if it has the following criteria: must not be out-of-business and must have a business name and must have an address and must have a valid SIC/Line of Business (can not be an undetermined SIC) and can not be undeliverable and must have an update date within 24 months Modeled Employee Figure: an employee figure derived by a statistical model which objectively predicts employee number based on normative data such as SIC, sales and other demographic information from similar companies Modeled Sales Figure: a sales figure derived by a statistical model which objectively predicts sales volume based on normative data such as SIC, employees, and other demographic information from similar companies Trade Experiences: data that reflects how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered Trade Files: a collection of payment experiences that provides detailed information on how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered Duplicate: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Family Trees: a group of records that are related or linked in ownership where one company owns 50% or more of another company�s assets or is a secondary location of another company. A family tree includes all headquarter, subsidiary, branch and division locations for a related group of records Linked Records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Reports delivered with Trade Experiences: the trade experiences were added to reports that were purchased by customersActive Records: business records that have NOT been identified as out of business via existing update processes Marketable Records for Argentina: a record is marketable in Argentina if it has the following criteria: must not be out-of-business and must have a business name and must have an address and must have a valid SIC/Line of Business (can not be an undetermined SIC) and can not be undeliverable and must have an update date within 24 months Modeled Employee Figure: an employee figure derived by a statistical model which objectively predicts employee number based on normative data such as SIC, sales and other demographic information from similar companies Modeled Sales Figure: a sales figure derived by a statistical model which objectively predicts sales volume based on normative data such as SIC, employees, and other demographic information from similar companies Trade Experiences: data that reflects how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered Trade Files: a collection of payment experiences that provides detailed information on how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered Duplicate: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Family Trees: a group of records that are related or linked in ownership where one company owns 50% or more of another company�s assets or is a secondary location of another company. A family tree includes all headquarter, subsidiary, branch and division locations for a related group of records Linked Records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Reports delivered with Trade Experiences: the trade experiences were added to reports that were purchased by customers

13. 13 The Standard Data Architecture is applied to all data exchanges across the D&B Worldwide Network US Marketing file: In the US, a record must have the following criteria to be marketable: not marked out-of-business and must have business name present and must have a valid business address and must not be undeliverable and must have a valid SIC and must have a valid telephone number Accuracy of US Contact Names: A monthly verification of ALL contact names on 1000 records. Calculation is number of contact names correct divided by the total number of contact names assessed. The number of contact names assessed will always be more than 1000 since there are multiple contact names on many records Requests received through online platforms: Requests for information that come in through on-line platforms such as dnb.com, DUNSLink, and 3rd Party Access Systems. Over 90% of all transactional requests are included in this metric Duplicate Rate: Percentage of records within the U.S. Marketing file that resemble another record and require additional processing to determine if both D-U-N-S Numbers are warranted Resemble another record: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Duplicates: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Completeness of Family Trees: Number of linked records Linked records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Alternative Links: Linkage beyond legal ownership including dealers, franchises, agents, associations, co-ops, chapters and other affiliations Family Tree Accuracy: Percent of random sample of linked records that are assessed as accurate through manual and automated reviews checking for duplicates, erroneous SIC's, missed merger/acquisition info and incorrect linkages Random Sample: the random sample of cases for this metric is drawn from a universe of family trees with 20 or more locations Manual and automated reviews: manual reviews are done by�comparing the data in the record to third party data available�(i.e.�web, news articles) and by calling the businesses to check for duplicates, erroneous SIC�s and�accurate linkage representation.� Records are also sent through automated checks that look for changes on the status of records that necessitate further analysis on all�records linked to the company with a change. Predictive Scores: These scores indicate how likely it is for a business to pay promptly or continue as an ongoing concern Records With 3+ Trade: Percentage of U.S. active records that contain 3 or more payment experiences Payment Experiences -- data that reflects how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered US Marketing file: In the US, a record must have the following criteria to be marketable: not marked out-of-business and must have business name present and must have a valid business address and must not be undeliverable and must have a valid SIC and must have a valid telephone number Accuracy of US Contact Names: A monthly verification of ALL contact names on 1000 records. Calculation is number of contact names correct divided by the total number of contact names assessed. The number of contact names assessed will always be more than 1000 since there are multiple contact names on many records Requests received through online platforms: Requests for information that come in through on-line platforms such as dnb.com, DUNSLink, and 3rd Party Access Systems. Over 90% of all transactional requests are included in this metric Duplicate Rate: Percentage of records within the U.S. Marketing file that resemble another record and require additional processing to determine if both D-U-N-S Numbers are warranted Resemble another record: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Duplicates: records that have business names that appear to be the same, and/or records that have addresses that appear to be the same, and/or records that have the same telephone number. The actual number of duplicate records will always be lower than the figure reported because the universe of cases for this metric includes all possible duplicates Completeness of Family Trees: Number of linked records Linked records: a record will be linked to another record if it�owns 50% or more of�another company's assets or if it is a secondary location.� Linked records include headquarters, subsidiaries, branch and division locations Alternative Links: Linkage beyond legal ownership including dealers, franchises, agents, associations, co-ops, chapters and other affiliations Family Tree Accuracy: Percent of random sample of linked records that are assessed as accurate through manual and automated reviews checking for duplicates, erroneous SIC's, missed merger/acquisition info and incorrect linkages Random Sample: the random sample of cases for this metric is drawn from a universe of family trees with 20 or more locations Manual and automated reviews: manual reviews are done by�comparing the data in the record to third party data available�(i.e.�web, news articles) and by calling the businesses to check for duplicates, erroneous SIC�s and�accurate linkage representation.� Records are also sent through automated checks that look for changes on the status of records that necessitate further analysis on all�records linked to the company with a change. Predictive Scores: These scores indicate how likely it is for a business to pay promptly or continue as an ongoing concern Records With 3+ Trade: Percentage of U.S. active records that contain 3 or more payment experiences Payment Experiences -- data that reflects how a business�meets their payment obligations (i.e. prompt, slow, number of days past due) and the high credit dollar amount on�merchandise bought or services rendered

14. 14 The D&B Worldwide Network is positioned to meet XBRL standards in the future, but two quality dimensions need more attention Completeness All data elements needed for full risk analysis are not currently included in the standards Legal proceedings Payment experiences Unique identifiers (e.g., DUNS Numbers): multiple names and corporate family linkages Private companies in many countries will not be included within regulatory reporting requirements As an example, in the US about 12,000 public companies report to the Securities and Exchange Commission but about 30,000,000 businesses report to the Internal Revenue Service

15. 15 Cross-border consistency, another dimension of information quality, will need very careful attention XBRL standards are being created by local country regulatory bodies, regional regulatory bodies, industry associations, etc. Cross border definitional issues remain unresolved As-reported versus standardized data issues remain unresolved

16. 16 D&B�s Worldwide Network is committed to delivering the high quality information required to ensure transparency in credit decisions A strong commitment to global standards for defining information quality A thought-leadership position within countries and regions where standards are being implemented by regulatory authorities An active monitoring position in other countries and regions The potential to deliver XBRL format as market demand develops

17. 17 Questions?