Metagon/Unicon to Offer Real-Time Access to Legacy Data

Metagon Technologies, LLC, the enterprise data integration innovator, announced an alliance with Unicon Group Ltd to market Metagon's DQbroker enterprise data access solution. Unicon is a leading provider of software and services that deliver data access, extraction, query, and reporting functionality for legacy data on Unisys and Bull platforms. Metagon's DQbroker is a field-proven, peer-to-peer (P2P) distributed processing solution that makes all enterprise data appear as a single data source, and delivers full database functionality enterprise-wide, regardless of platform or application. Working in conjunction with Unicon's LOUISII extraction and reporting engine, DQbroker will provide extended access to legacy data on Unisys and Bull mainframes. The DQbroker / LOUISII solution will also access mainstream databases such as Oracle, Sybase, Informix, and SQL Server on Unix and NT platforms.

Mike Orlando, president of Unicon, said, "Together, Metagon and Unicon deliver multi-platform data access and highly efficient integration for most corporate enterprise environments. In order to effectively demonstrate the power of our Enterprise Data Access (EDA) solution, we offer a proof-of-concept EDA Challenge wherein our clients can see how quickly the DQbroker/LOUISII solution can be implemented using their data. Metagon created a software development kit (SDK) with DQbroker's cross-platform data integration functionality that allowed us to quickly and easily develop native access to any data source. Utilizing Metagon's SDK, we embedded Unicon's high performance LOUISII legacy data access capability. Now users of Unisys ClearpathIX and Bull GCOS8 systems can enjoy fast, efficient access to both legacy data and any open (relational) data, and easily join data in this heterogeneous environment. Unicon has already sold implementations using the EDA Challenge and we currently have several more new Challenges in progress."

Orlando cited how DQbroker enhanced the success of a recent Unicon Enterprise Data Access Challenge. "One of our clients is a large international financial services company. They needed to provide employees with fast, easy-to-use querying capabilities against multiple data sources, including a Unisys ClearPath IX server, SQL Server on NT, DB2 on AS/400 and Non-Stop SQL on Tandem Systems." He noted, "Within 2 hours of installing the software, our client was running queries using Microsoft Excel against the mainframe."

Orlando continued, "By the next day, with a preliminary discussion of Enterprise Data Access goals, our client had set up their ETL procedure to extract data from Unisys DMS and populate SQL Server tables on NT. Our client was also running queries from Excel against the SQL Server database. As our EDA Challenge progressed, access to DB2 on AS/400 and Non-Stop SQL on Tandem Systems was completed."

The DQbroker-enriched Software Development Kit (SDK) enables entire data integration projects to be completed in weeks or months instead of years. The Unicon EDA Challenge allows potential customers to quickly see the power and flexibility of this enterprise data access solution working with their data on their platforms without investing a lot of time and resources.

Lance Becker, president and chief executive officer of Metagon, said, "Teaming our powerful development assets with Unicon creates an innovative solution for complex heterogeneous data/platform environments. Metagon's SDK delivers end-to-end data access solutions spanning any data source and application. Metagon and Unicon are working together to provide superior data access solutions to the customer."

About Unicon Group Ltd

Unicon Group Ltd (www.unicongl.com) is a leading provider of high performance data extract, query and reporting tools for users of legacy systems. Unicon has specialized in delivering data access software solutions to users of Unisys ClearPath/IX and Bull GCOS8 systems since 1982. Unicon is the developer if the LOUISII data access engine, which provides access to all file and database structures on both of these legacy platforms. Unicon is located in St. Louis, Missouri and provides sales, technical support, and training services to a worldwide client base representing a variety of industries. Unicon's worldwide clients include users in the areas such as telecommunications, federal, state and local governments, financial institutions and manufacturing.

About Metagon Technologies LLC

Metagon Technologies (www.metagon.com) provides enterprise data integration software tools that deliver a Global View of multiple, heterogeneous data sources, simultaneously and in real time, transforming businesses into i-businesses. Metagon's technology allows users to view, modify, and join any number of disparate data regardless of vendor, geography, or platform, enabling customers and partners to create flexible and scalable e-commerce, data access, and enterprise reporting solutions. Metagon's tools also enable VARs, resellers, and consultants to leverage enterprise data access and enterprise ETL capabilities in their own products and solutions. Metagon has over 15 years experience with enterprise data access as a division of Decision Support Inc, a leader in data access and reporting solutions for the Unisys marketplace. Metagon, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, serves a diverse global customer base, spanning multiple industries, including finance, manufacturing and software development.

Contact Grace Cohen, Demaree Public Relations, 603-428-4411, gcohen@demaree-pr.com.