Convert complex semi-structured spreadsheets into standard Kimball-style star-schema dimensional models
New York, NY (June 7, 2007) – Interactive Edge, award-winning provider of data analysis solutions, today announced the official launch of a new edition of its data normalization product, DataDefractor. This new edition, called DataDefractor Solo, is specifically designed to extract data from complex semi-structured data sources such as Microsoft Excel reports, CSV worksheets and raw text files and convert them into standard star-schema dimensional models ready to be consumed by any ETL platform or Business Intelligence system.
While the modern ETL platforms provide methods for extracting data from many different data sources, most do not include out-of-the box ability to dimensionalize data from flexible semi-structured data sources such as typical enterprise Excel and CSV reports and worksheets. Data sources like these often feature variable headers and footers, multi-level nested sub-pages as well as deeply de-normalized flexible structures. Today ETL developers spend days developing hand-coded ETL scripts tailored to the specific patterns of such data sources.
DataDefractor Solo is a new standalone edition of DataDefractor. Unlike DataDefractor SSIS, DataDefractor Solo is independent from SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS) and targets non-SQL Server Business Intelligence professionals who need to extract, normalize and dimensionalize data from complex semi-structured business spreadsheets.
From a functionality point of view, DataDefractor Solo is the same as DataDefractor SSIS. Both feature the same example-driven user interface, rule-based data mapping concepts, regular-expression extractions, multidimensional modeling, etc., but instead of pumping the output data directly into the SSIS pipeline, DataDefractor Solo generates structured normalized CSV files. These CSV files can then be loaded by virtually any ETL platform or Business Intelligence system.
Although DataDefractor Solo can be used with SQL Server 2005 Integration Services, DataDefractor SSIS will still be the edition of choice for SQL Server 2005 ETL developers because of its tight integration with SSIS. DataDefractor SSIS outputs data directly into the SSIS pipeline which tremendously boosts performance by avoiding the need for staging areas.
The Gartner Group recently reported that a full 50% of enterprise data management projects fail outright, commented Zel Bianco, Interactive Edge CEO. A common reason for failure is the inability to capture and manage the data needed to make valid business decisions. On closer inspection, much of this data is available only in the company’s many reports, but is not accessible or analyzable in any other format without special development efforts that are costly and time consuming at best if not impossible at worst. We created DataDefractor to remove this barrier to important data and help our customers turn their data into revenue.
Availability
A free fully functional 14-day trial version is available at www.datadefractor.com. Pricing and purchase information is available on the website as well.More information is available by calling 1-800-961-9296 or e-mailing info@datadefractor.com.
About Interactive Edge
Interactive Edge is committed to providing best-in-class tools and expertise for getting value out of any data, quickly, flexibly and effectively.
Its vision is to empower stakeholders throughout enterprises to achieve ROI on data investments by developing award-winning, standard software. In today’s information-rich business environment, Interactive Edge has excelled at providing tools for both IT and business personnel to take advantage of enterprise and line-of-business data.