Informatica Announces 'PowerConnect' Software to Help Companies Unlock ERP Data for Strategic Business Analysis
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Informatica Corporation, provider of one of the leading software platforms for powering analytic applications, has introduced PowerConnect for SAP R/3 and PowerConnect for PeopleSoft, new software products that will allow companies to directly extract and integrate the vast amounts of corporate data stored in their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in order to leverage it for enterprise decision support. These new products will complement and extend the reach of Informatica's PowerCenter enterprise data integration software, and will deliver a comprehensive data warehousing platform that companies can use to transform data from every corner of their enterprise into valuable business insight.

"Companies have long recognized the value of ERP systems for integrating their operational systems and delivering business efficiency, and are now beginning to see that the data captured by those systems is equally valuable for strategic business analysis," said Michael Schiff, director of data warehousing strategies, Current Analysis. "Informatica has a well-established track record for partnering with ERP leaders SAP and PeopleSoft to support their respective data warehousing strategies. The introduction of PowerConnect for SAP and PeopleSoft represents a valuable extension and natural evolution of Informatica's data warehousing product platform, and provides enabling technology to facilitate the integration of ERP data with corporate and line-of-business decision support applications."

"Corporate ERP systems contain a wealth of vital operational data that must be accessed in order to conduct true enterprise decision support," said Diaz Nesamoney, president of Informatica. "By adding support for ERP data to Informatica's already robust data warehousing platform, Informatica will provide one of the most comprehensive architectures available for deploying analytic applications and leveraging business intelligence."

PowerConnect for SAP R/3

Informatica PowerConnect for SAP R/3 will provide Informatica PowerCenter customers with high-speed data extraction from SAP R/3. Using PowerConnect for SAP R/3, users will be able to access all SAP R/3 tables -- including transparent, pool, and cluster tables -- as well as SAP Info Hierarchies.

PowerConnect for SAP R/3 extracts data from SAP using ABAP, SAP's proprietary 4GL. The SAP data is then delivered to Informatica's PowerCenter data integration software which provides robust capabilities for transforming the data and delivering it to downstream data warehouses, data marts and analytic applications.

Autodesk, which has announced its plans to standardize on Informatica's PowerCenter data warehousing platform, has many SAP R/3 implementations worldwide and sees important advantages in using PowerConnect to help consolidate its SAP data for analysis.

"One of Autodesk's biggest challenges in developing a global data warehouse is coping with the complexity of integrating data from a wide variety of transaction systems across the enterprise, including our worldwide SAP R/3 implementations," said Tom Grimmett, data warehouse manager at Autodesk. "Informatica's PowerCenter platform helps in this regard by serving as one standardized solution we can use to consolidate worldwide data. PowerConnect has the potential to further reduce the complexity of accessing critical operational data and accelerate the delivery time for true ERP data warehousing."

PowerConnect for PeopleSoft

Informatica PowerConnect for PeopleSoft will provide Informatica PowerCenter customers with high-speed data extraction from PeopleSoft. Using PowerConnect for PeopleSoft, users will be able to access all PeopleSoft objects, including Records, Panels and Trees.

PowerConnect for PeopleSoft extracts data from PeopleSoft utilizing the rich metadata held in the PeopleSoft metadata tables as well as the standard metadata held in database catalog tables. The PeopleSoft data is then delivered to Informatica's PowerCenter data integration software which transforms the data and delivers it to downstream data warehouses, data marts and analytic applications.

Commented Troy Parke, enterprise database manager at Seattle-based Simpson Investment Company, "Informatica is addressing head-on the cost overruns and 'scope creep' of most ERP data warehousing implementations with new products that enhance the data integration and migration capabilities of its decision support software platform. As the ultimate ERP interface engine, we believe PowerConnect for PeopleSoft will prove to be the key to reducing the ongoing cost of change, and improving the overall flexibility of the corporate 'digital nervous system'."

Pricing and Availability

Both PowerConnect products are add-on software to Informatica PowerCenter, and will be priced starting at $55,000. Currently in beta, PowerConnect for SAP and PowerConnect for PeopleSoft will be commercially available in the fall of 1999.

PowerConnect for SAP R/3 and PowerConnect for PeopleSoft will complement and extend the reach of Informatica's leading enterprise software platform for powering analytic applications. Informatica's platform consists of PowerCenter, an enterprise data integration hub for rapidly deploying scalable, enterprise-class decision support applications; and PowerMart, an integrated software suite for deploying and managing line-of-business data marts and analytic applications.

Designed from inception to be multi-platform, all Informatica products run on both Unix and Microsoft NT servers, use Windows 95 and Windows NT clients, and work seamlessly with all major databases, including Oracle, Microsoft, Informix, Sybase, IBM, VSAM, and flat file databases.

About TDWI Conferences

The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI) is the premier educational association in the data warehousing industry and represents more than 34,000 members and associates from corporations, consultancies, and government agencies in 45 countries. TDWI accomplishes its goals through sharing information about best practices and real-world lessons learned by data warehousing visionaries, practitioners and pioneers. The Data Warehousing Institute convenes annual worldwide conferences and courses on data warehousing and business information strategies where experienced professionals share real-world experiences.

About Informatica

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Informatica develops and markets enterprise software products and services that enable many of the world's largest companies to build and manage business intelligence and analytic applications across the enterprise. Informatica has more than 400 Global 2000 customers worldwide and maintains partnerships with Cambridge Technology Partners, EDS, Ernst & Young, Microsoft, PeopleSoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, SAP AG and Siemens Business Services. For more information, call (800) 653-3871, or visit Informatica's Web site at http://www.informatica.com.