Sand Ports Nucleus to Run Native on IBM AS/400

Sand Technology Inc and IBM announced that Sand has ported its award-winning Nucleus business intelligence solution to run native on the IBM AS/400, thereby introducing exploration data warehousing to the AS/400 world. Nucleus complements the AS/400's DB2 Universal Data Base, and other data management and business intelligence solutions from IBM and IBM business partners. Until now, the Nucleus solution set has only been available for the 64-bit Unix and 32-bit Windows 9X/NT platforms.

"We ported Nucleus to the AS/400 because, with an installed base of 700,000+ systems worldwide, it is the repository for much of today's business data," said Jerry Shattner, president, Sand Technology North America. "Our mission is to help organizations explore their data quickly and easily, mining raw data to find new information which they can use to make better business decisions.

"Nucleus adds a whole new BI concept - that of exploration data warehousing -- while complementing DB2/400 UDB and extending existing BI applications, such as data marts and OLAP," Shattner explained. "Nucleus is the right tool set for power users, including top management and business analysts, who need to formulate and refine complex, ad hoc queries against large amounts of data."

"We are delighted that Sand Technology is extending the Business Intelligence applications available to AS/400 users," said Leamon Hall, AS/400 Business Intelligence Segment Manager. "Sand has a unique product that is ideally suited for power users who need to find answers to questions they don't yet know how to frame. With Nucleus, they can quickly and easily build and then mine exploration data warehouses consisting of both internal operational data (e.g., ERP, distribution, SCM, CRM) and pertinent external data (e.g., weather, trading partner's data).

"For the past two years," Hall continued, "Sand's Nucleus has been providing superior ROI and speedy results in both large and small companies in many industry sectors, and we are confident that those same benefits will accrue to AS/400 users."

What is Exploration Data Warehousing?

Bill Inmon, known as the father of data warehousing, coined the term "Exploration Data Warehousing" after reviewing Nucleus in 1998. In a ground-breaking article for DM Review magazine, he describes the need for exploration data warehouses and the underlying Nucleus technology that makes it possible:

• "The explorer [typically a power business user such as a business analyst or CFO] needs to look at large amounts of data in a random manner.
• The explorer operates in a random, non-repetitive mode.
• When the explorer embarks on an analytical quest trying to use the [traditional] enterprise warehouse, the explorer is pushed away.
• The volume of data the explorer requires, the unusual and unpredictable way in which the explorer wishes to look at the data, and the time frame in which the explorer wishes to look at the data never fit easily with the enterprise data warehouse.
• A very convenient way to accommodate the needs of the explorer is by the creation of a separate exploration warehouse.
• " ... the exploration warehouse is built on a foundation of technology that is optimal for exploration: token-based technology.
• Token-based technology allows data to be condensed to the point that it can be placed in memory.
• Once placed in memory, the speed of analysis and retrieval is a fraction of the speed that could be obtained in a standard enterprise data warehouse. Furthermore, once the exploration warehouse is created, the data warehouse administrator has moved troublesome exploration processing away from the enterprise data warehouse."

Business Intelligence guru Claudia Imhoff, president of Intelligent Solutions Inc, said about Nucleus:

"Sand Technology has developed one of the most innovative technologies for use in the data warehousing arena in years. Their new product, Nucleus, will cause all of us to rethink our data warehouse/data mart design, construction and usage. It revolutionizes the database market by finally giving us a technology to easily, efficiently and inexpensively perform the difficult but very rewarding process of mining our data - a process that previously was all but impossible.

"Enterprises running the Nucleus product suite will benefit by creating increased marketing intelligence, enabling them to build new business opportunities, respond to competitive marketing activities in real-time, and ultimately, grow their business based on greater knowledge. Now, by plugging Nucleus into their DB2 warehouses, these businesses will improve the responsiveness of their day-to-day transactions, while at the same time increasing the productivity of their power analysts."

Pricing and Availability

Nucleus for the AS/400 is available through IBM AS/400 Business Intelligence Specialists. Prices available upon request. Consulting services are also available through IBM or Sand.

For more information

For more information about Nucleus for the AS/400, contact Sand Technology at 514-939-3477, info@sandtechnology.com, or visit www.sandtechnology.com.

About Sand Technology

Sand Technology, with headquarters in Montreal, Canada and offices in the United Kingdom and the United States, provides high performance, scalable software solutions for data mining, data marts, data warehouses and online analytical processing (OLAP).

Sand's Nucleus product suite brings patented technology to the business user, empowering more timely and accurate decision-making. Nucleus is being used in the Retail, Finance, Healthcare, Transportation, Telecommunication, Manufacturing, Government and Insurance sectors to support strategic corporate initiatives including: CRM (Customer Relationship Management); SAP reporting; SCM (Supply Chain Management); risk analysis and management; new business; product trend and profitability analysis; fraud detection; emerging markets; competitive analysis, and quality control. Sand is an IBM Business Partner, and also has commercial relationships with Compaq Computer Corporation, Microsoft, SAIC, GE, Brio Technology, Information Builders Inc, and Wyle Systems. Sand Technology can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.sandtechnology.com.

Contact Hellena Smejda of WordsWorth International, 815-736-9902, hsmejda@interaccess.com.