RELEASE: Informix Announces Data Warehousing Strategy

Informix Announces Data Warehousing Strategy Partnerships to Provide "Best in Class" Warehouse Solutions Dynamic Scalable Architecture Ideal Technology for Information Warehouse DB EXPO, San Francisco, Calif. (May 24, 1994) -- Informix Software, Inc., (NASDAQ: IFMX) the leader in parallel processing database technology for open systems, today announced its data warehousing strategy to enable customers to use the INFORMIX(R)-OnLine Dynamic Server(TM) as a core technology for data warehousing environments. As part of its data warehousing initiative, Informix today announced a joint marketing agreement with Prism Solutions to provide data warehouse management software from Prism for the INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server. "A data warehouse enables end users to do ad hoc queries and decision support applications against very large databases of integrated information, in order to gather pertinent data analysis about their business," said Steve Sommer, vice president of marketing. "Until the recent introduction of our parallel processing database technology, no open systems database product was capable of handling the large databases that data warehouse applications require. With INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server, there is now a mainstream server product that gives customers the ability to utilize the price/performance of open systems for data warehousing." Informix's Data Warehouse Strategy Informix recognizes the following six key components as necessary data warehouse success factors and will be linking its powerful parallel processing server technology with technologies and services from other companies to provide a complete open systems-based data warehousing solution for customers. These key areas of technology and services include: -Data Modeling -- An analysis that requires selecting pertinent data from operational source databases and modeling it into a data warehouse. This analysis is often done internally by the corporation, or through consultation services. -Management Tools For Data Extract Transformation and Maintenance --These software tools automate the process of extracting data from various sources and place it in the data warehouse database. Informix has formed InSync relationships with two key vendors in this area, Prism Solutions, and Carleton Corporation. -Relational Database Technology -- A successful data warehouse implementation requires the ability to accumulate and manage large amounts of data efficiently. This requirement is satisfied by a relational database management system that is built on parallel technology. Informix today provides the only core parallel technology with INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server, that features data partitioning, parallel query, parallel loading and indexing, and dynamic system management--all important to a data warehouse environment. -Open System Hardware Platforms for Data Warehousing -- Informix has strong relationships with all the hardware vendors who offer scalable high end open systems hardware solutions--hardware that is essential for data warehousing. Currently Informix participates in a number of hardware vendors data warehousing initiatives. -Data Access Tools -- Effective data access and application development tools for decision support are needed by customers to provide data warehouse interfaces and applications. Informix has long-standing relationships with many key vendors in this area, such as: Business Objects, Inc., Clear Access/Fairfield Software, Gupta Technologies, Information Advantage, Inc., Information Builders, Inc., Knowledgeware, Inc., Powersoft Corporation, Trinzic Corp., and Uniface Corp. Informix also offers its own products for end user access and decision support applications, INFORMIX-ViewPoint(TM) and INFORMIX-HyperScript' Tools. -Consulting Services -- Informix is identifying relationships that provide complete consultation and integration services for data warehousing, from accessing business needs, to modeling and tool recommendations, to deployment strategies. Relational Database Management With OnLine Dynamic Server Relational database management is a key component in data warehouse implementation. In order to maximize the manageability of large volumes of data in a data warehouse, customers must select a relational database that can manage data in parallel. Informix's Dynamic Scalable Architecture(TM), (DSA) the foundation upon which INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server is built, provides the internal parallel technology needed for managing large amounts of data in a data warehouse. This core parallel technology includes features such as data partitioning, parallel query, parallel loading and indexing, and dynamic system management--important to data warehousing environments. INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server's core internal parallel design, enables complex requests from the user to be routed to multiple CPUs and divides these tasks into subtasks, essentially giving up to 10 to 30 times the speedup in a query process. With OnLine Dynamic Server, customers can increase the number of users gaining access to a data warehouse, and increase the volume and complexity of their queries. In order to do this, OnLine Dynamic Server, can be dynamically scaled to add more processors and disks as the data warehouse needs evolve and scale. One major design criteria in developing a data warehouse is the ability to partition data stored in a warehouse. DSA allows for table partitioning, which splits data into smaller partitions for improved manageability. Once the data is partitioned, OnLine Dynamic Server can then leverage its parallel processing capabilities and deliver queries to users at maximum speed. About Informix Informix Software is the leading supplier of high performance, parallel processing database technology for open systems. The company's database servers are the number one choice of computer hardware manufacturers for publishing Transaction Processing Council (TPC) benchmarks for UNIX-based systems. Informix products also include application development tools for creating client/server production applications, decision support systems, and ad-hoc query interfaces, and connectivity software that allows information to be shared transparently from PCs to mainframes within the corporate computing environment. Informix's corporate headquarters is based in Menlo Park, California. -- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% William Daul Advanced Support INFORMIX SOFTWARE INC. 4100 Bohannon Dr. (415) 926-6488 - wk Menlo Park, CA. 94025 uunet!infmx!billd or billd@informix.com