Microsoft, Pilot Software, ExecuSoft Systems and Digital Equipment Showcase a Data Warehouse That’s Ready for the AS/400
REDMOND, Wash., June 14, 1996 — Microsoft Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., Pilot Software and ExecuSoft Systems today announced they will showcase
“Rapid Data Warehouse,” an open, Windows NT® operating system-based and AlphaServer solution for AS/400®
users who need to access a data warehouse that is fast, low-priced and easy to use. The solution will be demonstrated at a seminar series that begins June 24 in Anaheim, Calif.
In the three-city tour, the companies will demonstrate that AS/400 sites can enjoy the vast benefits of data warehousing without further stressing their AS/400 systems, enduring a massive system reconfiguration, or having to buy yet another AS/400.
The half-day event will feature a no-charge seminar on enhancing the AS/400 environment, a solution demonstration, a data warehouse case study and continental breakfast for current AS/400 users. In addition, attendees will be offered a no-charge,
60-day trial of the solution so they can test the powerful, easy-to-use data warehouse in their own AS/400 environments.
“With this multivendor tour, we are introducing the benefits of Digital’s Alpha Warehouse solution by bringing together Alpha, Windows NT, Pilot and ExecuSoft,”
said David Bourque, marketing manager for Digital Equipment.
“This innovative approach enables AS/400 users to leverage their existing investments and realize the benefits of data warehousing.”
The tour kicks off June 24 at the Hyatt Regency Alicante in Anaheim, Calif. It will continue at the Atlanta Hilton and Towers in Atlanta on June 26, followed by the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City on June 27. Registration and breakfast begin at 8 a.m., and the event concludes by noon. AS/400 users interested in registering should call (800) 206-3000.
Data Warehouse Comes to Midrange Computing
Data warehousing is one of IT’s fastest-growing technologies. Once known only in the shops of large retail and manufacturing concerns, data warehousing now is migrating to mid-sized companies and even departments within companies.
Decision-makers are realizing the benefits of being able to easily access, explore and analyze the vast amounts of information held by their companies. With a data warehouse, employees in sales, marketing, finance and operations have information at their fingertips. This ability enables them to assess new product opportunities, manage new distribution channels, shorten financial planning cycles, identify plan variances, improve customer segmentation, monitor turnover and fend off competitive threats.
Typically, however, many AS/400 sites are already stressed, providing few viable options for building data warehouses, other than enduring a costly AS/400 upgrade.
“Once AS/400 users have implemented this open data warehouse solution, they will experience a vast improvement in the effectiveness of their systems,”
said Eric Kim, president and CEO of Pilot Software.
“The AS/400 has been used as the operational backbone for many mid-tier companies. But one of the weaknesses in that environment has been the inability to actually use operational information for reporting, analysis and decision-making. There just haven’t been the tools and technologies available until now.”
Microsoft, Digital Equipment, ExecuSoft Systems and Pilot Software have teamed up to provide a cost-efficient solution that enables users to integrate their AS/400s with PCs and LANs without sacrificing existing hardware or legacy data. With the Rapid Data Warehouse, users can receive business answers in real time and can even perform high-speed data transfers from AS/400 into SQL format.
“This event clearly demonstrates how products developed for Windows NT and the Microsoft®
BackOffice
™family can be seamlessly integrated with the AS/400,”
said Tad Parker, midrange marketing manager at Microsoft.
”
Customers have more choice in their application selection process than they had before. Customers can choose a ‘best-of-breed’ application, such as the Pilot Decision Support Suite on Microsoft
SQL Server
™, combine that with ExecuSoft’s AS/400 to the Microsoft BackOffice data replication line and run it on the fastest processor available – the Digital Alpha.”
“The expertise that each company brings makes for a tremendous fit,”
said Michael Hall, director of sales and marketing for ExecuSoft Systems.
“This solution makes a lot of sense for AS/400 sites that are running on high CPU utilization and still need their data to be distributed and kept in sync.”
Data Warehouse Incorporates Industry-Leading Technology
The Rapid Data Warehouse solution takes advantage of some of the most popular IT technologies available today:
-
Microsoft provides its Windows NT Server, SNA Server, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft BackOffice products. These products will provide a robust operating system, database and data replication.
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Digital provides its highly scalable AlphaServer systems, powered by the industry’s fastest microprocessor.
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Pilot Software provides its Pilot Decision Support Suite, a comprehensive OLAP environment with a multidimensional architecture that significantly reduces consolidation time and server size. The product enables very complex sales and marketing analysis to be deployed quickly and affordably.
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ExecuSoft Systems provides the ExecuSoft Symbiator, high-speed transfer and data-replication software.
Already, Microsoft SQL Server has shown itself to be a popular option for building data warehouses. Last year, 25 percent of Microsoft SQL Server customers surveyed said they were using Microsoft SQL Server for data-warehousing applications. In addition, 51 percent said they were using Microsoft SQL Server for a combination of data-warehousing, decision-support or executive information systems.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows NT and BackOffice are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
AS/400 is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
Digital and AlphaServer are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp.
Pilot is a registered trademark of Pilot Software Inc., a division of The Dun & Bradstreet Corp.
ExecuSoft Symbiator is a registered trademark of ExecuSoft Systems.
Look for more information on the World Wide Web at http://microsoft.com/industry/dataware.htm
