IBM and Data Mashups
May 6, 2009
Google Public Data and Wolfram Alpha. Dozens of business intelligence vendors like Business Objects and Clarabridge. Content processing systems like Connotate and Northern Light. And now IBM. These companies and IBM want to grab a piece of the data transformation, analysis, and mashup business. In the pre crash days, MBAs normalized data, figured out what these MBA brainiacs thought were valid relationships, and created snazzy charts and graphs. In the post crash era, smart software is supposed to be able to do this MBA-type work without the human MBAs. IBM, already owners of Web Fountain and other data crunching tools, bought Exeros, a privately held maker of computer programs that help companies analyze data across corporate databases. You can read one take on the story here.
If you want more information about Exeros, explore these links:
- The official news release here
- The architecture for transformation and other methods here
- Data validation block diagram here.
How does Exeros differ from what’s available from other vendors? Easy. Exeros has enterprise partners and customers plus some nifty technology.
What I find interesting is that IBM pumps big bucks into its labs, allows engineers to invent data transformation systems and methods, and then has to look outside for a ready-to-sell bundle of products and services. Does this suggest that IBM would get better return on its money by focusing on acquisitions, and scaling back its R&D?
Will this acquisition allow IBM to leap frog Google? Maybe, but I don’t think so. Google has had some of IBM Almaden wizards laboring in the Googleplex along with other “transformation” experts. Google is edging toward this enterprise opportunity with some exciting technology which I describe in Google: The Digital Gutenberg here. IBM thinks a market opportunity exists, and it is willing to invest to have a chance to increase its share.
Stephen Arnold, May 6, 2009
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