Over the past few years there has been an increase in the number database options available to application developers. It was a bit surprising for me to see so many companies actually positioning themselves as alternatives to relational databases. Here is a solid, albeit vendor written, comparison of the three approaches (requires registration).
I recently wrote about Vertica and their column database here and today checked out i-lluminate’s website and their correlation dbms (CDBMS). There is a lot to like about this duplicate nothing or ‘value based’ approach to data storage and retrieval. I’m certainly looking forward to diving deeper into this product as it was impossible for me to tell what format the data needs to be in prior to loading.
In their own words:
“illuminate’s correlation database is a radical new departure in how enterprise data warehouses, data marts, and analytics applications are built, deployed, and accessed. There is no need for upfront user requirements definition. There is no need for database pre-design. Nor is redesign needed when new data sources are added. But most important, correlation database technology gives users complete flexibility when it comes to ad hoc analysis and data mining for gaining business intelligence.”
I’ve always thought the market for analytics to be 10x that of transactional systems but it surprises me that they would position as an alternative way to build an enterprise data warehouse. While it may be possible to create an EDW on i-lluminate, I’d like to read that case study prior to suggesting such a thing to a client. i-lluminate may find less friction and a plenty big enough market positioned as a type of exploration warehouse/datamart. Reducing the total time consumed by a heuristic method of discovery appears to be their strongest selling point. That said, locking in on a few specific analytic applications where associations are the primary output may prove to be a more profitable move.
A big cloud hanging over this otherwise innovative offering is “how viable is this company?”. One report indicated that this Barcelona based company raised a total of 6M$ and is looking to raise more. While they have over 50 companies using the software I wonder how many of those came from the Synera asset acquisition. It appears i-lluminate is exclusively using an indirect approach to sales (i.e. using systems integrators to sell and implement the software) in the USA. This is the approach often used by US software companies when starting their international expansion. It will be very interesting to see how large US buyers respond to dealing with resellers.
That said, this is an interesting offering and a company to watch in 2009.
Tags: analytic applications, Business Intelligence, CDBMS, correlation databae, data marts, data mining, enterprise data warehouse, exploration warehouse, i-lluminate, vertica