Cloud-based skip tracing application

1. A method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing cloud based skip tracing, the method comprising:

providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange with a plurality of vendors providing skip tracing services;

receiving at the cloud based service and from a user a file of records for skip tracing, the file of records including client data including names;

selecting a waterfall process, wherein the selecting the waterfall process is based on an analytical model;

applying the waterfall process to the records using the computing device wherein the waterfall process includes at least a subset of the plurality of vendors;

processing results of the applied waterfall process, including validating the results and identifying duplicate results;

returning to the user a results file containing skip tracing results corresponding to the records;

receiving at the cloud based service and from the user a return file associated with the results file,

the return file identifying contacts made with customers identified in the records;

generating a waterfall score card and sending the waterfall score card to the user, the waterfall score card summarizing performance of the subset of the plurality of vendors;

wherein the analytical model is derived from an analysis component analyzing a plurality of return files from users, each of the return files providing information identifying contacts made with customers identified in the records, the analytical model including conditional statements, and being based on a statistical model that determines a path of the file of records through the skip tracing;

wherein the waterfall process includes applying cost constraints, wherein the cost constraints include a maximum cost per record for each waterfall such that records are returned to the client once the maximum cost per record is reached;

wherein the waterfall process includes a time frame constraint to allow the user to acquire some records regardless of vendor processing issues.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the waterfall process before applying the waterfall process.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the analytical model is industry specific.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a probability of a hit per vendor and an expected probability of a contact per vendor using the analytical model for each of the plurality of vendors.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising selecting the subset of the plurality of vendors using the analytical model.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising sequencing the subset of the plurality of vendors for the waterfall process using the analytical model.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the results file includes phone numbers for the records.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising deduping results from different vendors within the subset of the plurality of vendors.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the cloud based service provides for multiple levels of the skip tracing services.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving at the cloud based service a selection of a level of service from the multiple levels of skip tracing services.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving at the cloud based service a selection of a package type.