Product Reviews

Sybase Analytic Appliance

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Bhaskar Ballapragada, CTO for AdOn Network. BACKGROUND: Founded in 1999, AdOn Network is one of the largest contextual and behavioral advertising networks online, providing innovative solutions to more than 1,000 national and international advertisers and publishers. Based in Tempe, Arizona, AdOn Network ranked 72nd on Entrepreneur Magazine's 'Hot 500' list of 2007's fastest-growing companies in America. The company offers site-specific, contextual keyword and geo targeting as well as advertiser retargeting and conversion tracking to…

Netezza Performance Server data warehouse appliance

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Eric Williams, chief information officer for Catalina Marketing. BACKGROUND: Catalina Marketing, the global leader in behavior-based marketing solutions, provides consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the ability to execute targeted marketing programs specific to their customer base. These programs use shopper buying behaviors without compromising any personally identifiable information and deliver incentives and messages via printers located at the point of sale. Our goal is to be the world's most innovative marketing solutions provider…

SAS Predictive Analytics

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: David Norton, senior VP and chief marketing officer at Harrah's. BACKGROUND: Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now operates casinos on four continents. The company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of…

Oco’s On-Demand Business Intelligence Solution

Product Reviewer
BACKGROUND: Welch's is an agricultural cooperative, owned by its grape growers, and is the world's leading marketer of Concord and Niagara grape-based products, including grape juice and jelly. The company produces a variety of other fruit-based products, including 100% juices, juice cocktails, and drinks in the following forms: single serve, bottled, refrigerated, frozen and shelf-stable concentrates. Welch's also produces a number of fruit spread products under both the Welch's and BAMA brand names. In addition…

Quantivo

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Joe Schwartz, director, marketing for WebEx. BACKGROUND: WebEx, acquired by Cisco Systems in May of 2007, provides SaaS-based solutions to companies of all sizes. WebEx online meeting and collaboration software services help companies all over the world fulfill their most ambitious goals for marketing, sales, training and support. More than 7 million people use Cisco's WebEx products every month to communicate and collaborate online. …

ARC Retail Performance Management Suite from Manthan Systems

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Thelma G. Roxas, VP and CIO, and Ms. Jenifer A. Encomienda, BI Project Manager, Robinsons. BACKGROUND: The Robinsons Retail Group is one of the largest retailers in the Philippines, operating more than 300 stores nationwide across eight retail formats, including department stores, supermarkets, hardware and home solutions, appliances, fashion specialty, toys, convenience stores and single price stores. …

Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI)

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Peter Gouws, chief financial officer for Loyola University Health System. BACKGROUND: Loyola University Health System (Loyola) is a nationally recognized leader in providing health care and in conducting groundbreaking research to treat heart disease, cancer, organ transplantation and neurological disorders. Loyola, in conjunction with the Stritch School of Medicine and Loyola University Physician Foundation, has 1,322 faculty members, 452 residents, 100 fellows and 527 medical students. …

QlikTech's QlikView

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Clifford Siegel, senior vice president, Global Supply Chain at Lifetime Brands. BACKGROUND: Lifetime Brands is a resource for nationally branded kitchenware, tabletop and home decor products. The company markets its products under many of the industry's best known brands, including Farberware, Cuisinart, Calvin Klein, CasaModa and Hoffritz. Lifetime's products are distributed through almost every major retailer in the U.S. …

Pentaho BI Suite Enterprise Edition

Product Reviewer
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Embarcadero Technologies ER/Studio

REVIEWER: Jennifer Devine, senior architect, Barclays Wealth. BACKGROUND: Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the U.S., Africa and Asia. PLATFORMS: Embarcadero ER/Studio is used across both Oracle and SQL Server. …

Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition (Release 10.1.3.3)

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Jim Collison, technology manager for Gallup. BACKGROUND: Gallup has studied human nature and behavior for more than 70 years. Gallup's reputation for delivering relevant, timely and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel is the cornerstone of the organization. Gallup employs many of the world's leading scientists in management, economics, psychology and sociology, and our consultants assist leaders in identifying and monitoring behavioral economic indicators worldwide. Gallup consultants…

Talend Integration Suite

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Kevin Mackey, manager of data services, Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. BACKGROUND: Children's Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha - a 144-bed nonprofit organization and the only full-service pediatric specialty health care center in Nebraska - has cared for children since 1948. In addition to pediatric primary care, patients are referred from throughout the region for the treatment of complex or unusual diseases. No child in need of medical care is ever…

SiSense Prism

REVIEWER: Avishai Avrahami, co-founder and CEO, Wix.com. BACKGROUND: Wix is an online platform to make Flash Web sites that are search-engine friendly. Users can make complex Flash Web pages with the same effort as presentation slides. As of April 2009, about 580,000 sites were built using the platform. At millions of visits a month, Wix had multiple traffic sources. To make money, it needed Web analytics to optimize its site and convert free users into…

Tableau 4.0

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Cindy Sedlacek, director of data administration and reporting, College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. BACKGROUND: Cornell University is an Ivy League institution comprised of seven undergraduate colleges and four graduate and professional schools. The university serves more than 2,700 faculty and more than 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students. …

Greenplum Database

Product Reviewer
REVIEWER: Brian Dolan, director research analytics for Fox Interactive Media. BACKGROUND: Fox Interactive Media (FIM) – a division of News Corp. – is an interactive services company dedicated to connecting, informing, entertaining and empowering consumers with the most compelling online media experiences. FIM's popular Internet destinations – including MySpace, Photobucket, Fox Sports Interactive, IGN, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen – cross social media and high-value content verticals and reach the largest global audience of any major…