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April 2011 - UPDATE
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Trends and Applications
"Big data" has emerged as an often-used catch phrase over the past year to describe exponentially growing data stores, and increasingly companies are bolstering their product lines to address the challenge. But helping companies manage and derive benefit from the onslaught of data has consistently been the focus for MarkLogic Corporation, whose flagship product, MarkLogic Server, is a purpose-built database for unstructured information. The company recently announced Ken Bado as its new chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors. In terms of new directions for the company as he takes the reins, Bado says, "First of all, you are going to see a much more aggressive message from MarkLogic with respect to unstructured and specifically ‘big data.' " In addition, there will also be changes seen in the company's go-to-market approach, he says. "Right now, our business model is a direct model through an enterprise-type selling machine, that has been quite effective in getting us to where we are, but there are three other levels that we need to address pragmatically to help us build scale and grow."
Database Trends and Applications (DBTA) met with Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) president Mark C. Clark during the recent COLLABORATE 11 conference in Orlando, Florida. Clark, who became president of the users group earlier this year, is a senior partner for O2Works, which specializes in configuring the Oracle Applications to adhere to best practices and to streamline business operations. Now, more than 2 years following the financial meltdown of late 2008, it is clear that more users are again out attending COLLABORATE. "We have gone through a period of very tight IT budgets, a 2-to-4 year phase of maintenance. Everybody I am talking to is looking at opportunities to do projects this year. And if they aren't doing it this year, they are planning for it next year," said Clark, commenting on the renewed enthusiasm for attending the conference.
Application Security, Inc. (AppSec), a provider of database SRC solutions for the enterprise, and Securosis, a security research and analysis firm, have partnered to provide what they are describing as the industry's first comprehensive guide to quantifying enterprise database security processes. "What we wanted to do was go to some of the experts in the industry who have not only been analysts but also lived in this environment and have them systematically go through the process and document everything from organizational considerations down to specific steps and then provide a means to quantify the man hours, the expenses, and the technologies associated with each step in this process," Thom VanHorn, vice president of marketing, AppSec, tells DBTA.
Melissa Data Corp, a developer of data quality and address management solutions, has announced that customers can now access detailed property and mortgage data on more than 140 million U.S. properties by using the company's new WebSmart Property Web Service. The comprehensive solution is available for sourcing nearly any information on a given property - from parcel and owner information to square footage to zoning and more. The information provided by the service is all publicly available information that Melissa Data is compiling from various databases, Greg Brown, director of marketing for Melissa Data, tells DBTA. The service is expected to be particularly useful for property investors, mortgage and refinancing lenders, developers, real estate professionals, risk managers, insurance agencies, and companies looking to target market products and services to homeowners.