The data its built on. Science goes where the data is and all of metas/googles social network data, aka all of human behavioral data builds the actual basis for Sims. The palantir in the company name is a reference to cellphones. Seeing stones to look into the heart of the man of the west and east..

Its basically a privatized science. With that you can give accurate scenario tree modeling and predictions to governments free of the retardations, idealizations and ideologies that plague the open source "sciences" that actually don't even want to know.

They also sell Datamining related tools that allow to implement policies.

Before 2008 - 2012 there buisness base just didn't exist.