INFORMATION BUILDERS ANNOUNCES THE EDA/DATA WAREHOUSE; Industry Leader in Data Access Middleware Introduces Methodology to Provide Rapid Delivery at Low Cost

Business Wire, Dec 6, 1994

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--December 6, 1994--Information Builders, the industry leader in data access middleware, today unveiled a comprehensive data warehouse model that guides corporate users in creating an open environment for accessing, analyzing and presenting enterprise data. In addition, the firm announced a pragmatic, usage-based methodology designed to deliver successful data warehouses rapidly. Information Builders will offer a range of implementation packages designed to rapidly deploy targeted data warehouses, or "data marts" that evolve towards comprehensive enterprise warehouses with continuous return on investment.

Unique to Information Builders' data warehouse methodology is the new SmartSite Windows-based usage analysis and monitoring tool, which provides insight into what information is being accessed by whom, and how it is being used. Targeted, subject-oriented warehouses are developed to fit the special information requirements of a department or organization based on this information.

"Contrary to popular beliefs, data warehouses are built -- not bought," said John Senor, vice president, Enterprise Data Access (EDA) division, Information Builders. "Unlike other data warehouse approaches that try to model all corporate data, our more practical, usage-based method is less costly and quicker to implement."

"EDA/Data Warehouse provides the backbone that delivers open access to all corporate data," said Dave Kemler, vice president, Marketing and Sales, Information Builders. "The combination of EDA/SQL's data access, our world-class Business Intelligence tools like Focus Reporter and our high-performance parallel database make Information Builders the only vendor who can offer a complete and comprehensive open warehousing solution."

The EDA/Data Warehouse Model -- the Information Builders Advantage

The EDA/Data Warehouse Model is an architecture which provides a framework to deploy data sources and targets, access technologies, copy management, metadata, Business Intelligence tools, and management functions to deliver a competitive advantage through effective use of corporate information. Information Builders is the only vendor whose products can deliver the full range of technologies required to create an open data warehouse because EDA/SQL offers unmatched data access, platform support, and communications capabilities to provide total flexibility and complete coverage. In addition, Information Builders' FOCUS Reporter for Windows and Motif provides world-class Business Intelligence capabilities that are dramatically enhanced by the data warehouse environment.

Because of Information Builders' wide range of industry partnerships and support for standards, customers can also choose to deploy their existing tools, databases and skills in this model. Vendor partners such as Oracle, Microsoft, Informix, Reltech, Open Horizons, OEC, Lotus, IBM, Pyramid, and many others interoperate with Information Builders products.

EDA/Data Warehouse components from Information Builders include: - EDA/SQL -- a family of client/server components that work together to provide SQL-based access to virtually any relational or non-relational data on interconnected multivendor networks, regardless of the file structures, hardware environment or communications protocols in use. It also provides the mechanism for several hundred tools to access enterprise data. - The EDA/SQL Copy Manager function is instrumental in "cleansing" and transforming data that is moved to the warehouse on a scheduled basis using EDA/SQL's rich metadata to drive transformations. - FOCUS Windows family of integrated tools -- provide unparalleled end-user reporting and analysis, EIS, data visualization, statistics, decision support and client/server deployment capabilities without requiring experience with query structures and logic or special knowledge of the database. - FOCUS for Open Environments Parallel Database -- a scalable database server, currently offered in UNIX SMP environments, that provides dramatic performance benefits and significant upside growth potential as the warehouse expands.

EDA Data/Warehouse Methodology-- A Usage-Based Approach

The EDA/Data Warehouse methodology is grounded in practical experience gained by Information Builders Professional Services consultants in delivering data warehouses. The virtual data warehouse, a critical first step, is created by installing a set of data access, metadata and SmartSite usage monitoring facilities for targeted departments or functions within the corporation. Information Builders works with customers to monitor how this first stage is being used. Then, based on actual usage, Information Builders helps create a targeted data warehouse to support departmental information needs.

For example, a sales manager may need to know how sales are doing in a specific territory by individual salesperson one month, and by products sold the next month. As this sales-focused data warehouse is developed through direct immediate access to the current and historical data the sales manager needs, the SmartSite data meter continues to monitor how the data is being used. The sales manager is better able to make staffing and marketing program decisions and the corporation learns what information is critical to what groups to optimize information processing and storage resources.