Informix Announces Subaru Using Ardent DataStage

Informix Corp, a technology leader in the software infrastructure for the i.Economy, announced Subaru of America Inc is using Ardent DataStage as a key component in its business intelligence infrastructure.

Ardent DataStage provides the data integration platform to help Subaru reduce internal inefficiencies, cut costs, and more effectively target and retain customers in an exclusive market segment.

"Subaru sells to a very specific group of people, and DataStage will be instrumental in providing the company with a clearer view of who is buying its cars and what they are looking for," said Marc Venverloh, project manager of the decision support service team at Subaru of America Inc.

"Our goal is to better understand our customers and target their outside interests to keep them as customers. DataStage will enable us to meet this goal by providing the infrastructure to accurately track customer profile information."

Subaru is using Ardent DataStage to create and maintain the information infrastructure to track and analyze parts sales, parts purchases from vendors, and parts inventory snapshots. As a result of the success in these areas, Subaru will be using DataStage to track customer profile and owner information. DataStage's data movement and meta data management capabilities have enabled Subaru to reduce the time involved in building data warehouses and data marts from four months to six weeks.

"Subaru is a great example of a company utilizing a successful BI-infrastructure to segment and understand its customer base," said Mikael Wipperfeld, vice president, marketing, Informix. "Very early, the company realized the need for an accurate, powerful solution for data collection and analysis to retain and expand its customer base. DataStage gives them that, providing the decision and marketing support the company needs to continue its success."

About Ardent DataStage

The Ardent DataStage Suite includes a complete data movement and integration solution with native access to mainframe, client/server and internet environments; data quality assurance capabilities; Internet business data integration and Web analytics; and full lifecycle meta data management; all complemented by industry-leading professional services.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America Inc is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd of Japan. Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 590 franchised dealers across the United States. All Legacy and Outback models sold in the U.S. are produced at the company's American manufacturing plant, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc, near Lafayette, Indiana.

Over the past six years, the company has nearly tripled its revenues and seen its sales increase by nearly 50 percent thanks to its popular line of car-based sport utility vehicles. The company is among the fastest growing brands in the automobile industry and was recently named "Most Improved Car Company in the World" by the London-based Financial Times Automotive World magazine.

About Ardent

Ardent Software, a leading global data management software company, officially became part of Informix Corporation on March 1, 2000. Ardent is a market leading provider of data integration infrastructure software for e-Business, business intelligence, and analytical applications. Informix will retain Ardent's Westboro, Massachusetts headquarters to establish an East Coast product development, marketing, sales, service and support operation.

About Informix

Based in Menlo Park, Informix Software is a technology leader in software infrastructure solutions for the Internet. Informix is the first and only company to integrate e-commerce and business intelligence on a true Internet infrastructure. We provide a complete, fast and simple way to bring businesses to the Web, personalize content management, and analyze information real-time.

This, with our highly scalable Web engines and media asset management capabilities, gives our customers a unique competitive advantage. For more information, contact the sales office nearest you or visit our Website at www.informix.com.

Contact Informix Corporation Melora Foley, 650-926-6443 melora.foley@informix.com or Miller Consulting Group RJ Bardsley, 617-262-1800 x225 rj@millergrp.com.