This document discusses data mining and its uses. Data mining involves analyzing data from different perspectives to extract useful information that can increase revenue or reduce costs. It primarily benefits companies with a strong consumer focus. For example, Walmart captures sales data from its stores and shares it with suppliers so they can better manage inventory and identify opportunities. The results of data mining in the short term will be profitable but mundane, helping with marketing. In the medium term, data mining may become as easy to use as email. In the long term, data mining could unlock new medical treatments or insights into science when applied to large datasets.