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September 29, 2009
This work is actually quite embarrassing
The need for improved performance in data integration applications requires a new way of thinking about parallel processing. We need an 'a ha! moment.'
The same way chip manufacturers so radically improved hardware performance with multi-core processors. When you think about it, it is almost too simple a concept. I mean, if you wanted a six pack of soda you wouldn't run to the store and pick up a can at a time would you? I wouldn't.
But it wasn't that long ago when the heat and communication challenges of multiple CPUs brought chip manufacturers to the physical limits of current technology. Their 'a ha! moment' was simply combining multiple CPUs onto a single chip to fix the communication issues. The heat issue solved itself because these multi-core processors required less printed circuit board space and power.
The problem with most software vendors is that they have been riding the coattails of the hardware manufacturers for years - adding endless new features on the same old technology base rather than start with a 'clean sheet' like chip manufacturers did with multi-cores. Case in point: back in the mid '90's my word processor was faster and more responsive than it is today. When is it acceptable for software running on a single 486 33MHz processor to be just as fast as or faster than software running on a 3GHz quad-core? To me the answer is simple: never.
Some even defend this steady evolution - as an IBM software exec did in Stephen Swoyer's article in Enterprise Systems Journal when expressor first hit the market, rejecting 'the idea that just because a technology is old - it's somehow inefficient or obsolete.' But it was pretty clear to us that what was really needed was a radical mutation. A clean break with the old way of doing things.
Now there IS one segment of the software industry that has consistently innovated to improve performance, and that is the gaming market. The drive to innovate that motivates the gaming industry should be the model for all computing technology companies. So maybe it's not so surprising that expressor uses a new concept for parallel processing developed for the gaming industry - called 'embarrassingly parallel' - to deliver the breakthrough DI performance that sets us apart from existing players.
Embarrassingly parallel processing simply reduces or, in the case of expressor, actually eliminates communication between parallel data processing tasks. As with all data integration software, data movement is the main task, so we were open to any approach that improved data movement. But most existing data integration software continues to rely on outdated, communications-intensive parallel processing approaches that cost you computing resources.
Can they fix this and bring back your missing data processing resources? Not very likely, as it would require a complete rewrite of their software and a subsequent forklift upgrade for customers. So when looking for a high-performance data integration solution, you should look at the vendor that started with an 'a ha! moment' and got it right from the beginning - expressor software.
- John Russell, co-founder and chief scientist
Posted by expressor software at 11:45 AM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2009
new expressor eval edition demo video on YouTube!
Check out the new expressor eval edition demo video. Click twice to launch it on YouTube -- it's HD, so you can watch in full-screen mode.
- Steve Casey, marketing
Posted by expressor software at 3:30 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2009
September 24 webinar: Why evaluate expressor and demo of the new eval edition
According to Philip Howard of Bloor Research, many organizations still think data integration tools are too expensive and complex to justify the investment. So they stick with hand-coding.
Join our webinar this Thursday, September 24th at 11:00 am EDT/4:00 pm GMT, to hear Howard examine this and other trends affecting DI adoption, and explain why he thinks the breakthrough performance and affordability of the expressor semantic data integration system warrant its inclusion on "any shortlist."
Following Howard's presentation, John Lifter, PhD and expressor software's senior manager of education will demonstrate the expressor eval edition, a hosted version of the expressor semantic data integration system that gives developers 30 days of hands-on experience designing and testing data integration applications using expressor illustrator, the company's visual integration flow design tool.
We will conclude the event with a Q&A session for all attendees.
Click here to register.
- Steve Casey, marketing
Posted by expressor software at 2:45 PM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2009
expressor eval edition survey results look very promising
We have been beta testing our eval edition during July and September of this year and launched this latest offering on Sept 8. Since day one we have been asking for feedback via our Survey Monkey questionnaire and luckily a good percentage of our eval edition users are open to sharing their findings with us after the 30 day trial period. Here is some early feedback from 15 respondents I'd like to share with you. Our survey contains around 20 questions and this blog highlights the results of three of them:
As you can see from the first question below, our eval edition users are using a cross-section of ETL/DI tools right now. As expected, the leading tool is Informatica followed by Ab Initio, DataStage, Microsoft DDS/SSIS and SAP Data Integrator .
The next question focuses on what the most important ETL tool capabilities for them are, and you can see from the chart that ease of use is the most important capability, followed by business reuse, common business definitions, high-performance data processing, and real-time capabilities all having similar importance to our evaluation users.
And finally, I’d like to share with you the results to the question whether the eval edition of the expressor semantic data integration system meets the expectations of our evaluators. Glad to say we are doing very well on this front, which I expect will lead to more business for us down the road.
All of us here at expressor will be watching this expressor evaluation program very carefully over the coming weeks as more and more survey results come in. As for now, we are very satisfied with the results, as they indicate that our value proposition of smart, fast, and affordable ETL/DI software is right on the money and that our competitors (Informatica, Ab Initio, etc.) will have their hands full stopping us from making significant inroads into their accounts. And they won't!
- Michael Waclawiczek
VP, Marketing
Posted by expressor software at 2:45 PM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2009
Why evaluate expressor?
Are data integration tools too expensive and complex? Bloor's Philip Howard will explain why expressor's performance and affordability warrant its inclusion on any shortlist followed by a live demo of the hosted expressor eval edition.
Posted by expressor software at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
September 16, 2009
expressor eval edition in the news!
Two of the most prolific bloggers covering our industry took note of the expressor eval edition announcement last week.
Click here to read Loraine Lawson's analysis on ITBusinessEdge - and make sure to check out the reply from eval edition user Gauri Ghare, Data Warehouse Administrator, Jacobi Medical Center and Adjunct Professor, Pace University: 'I tested the eval-edition of expressor and found it an excellent toolset. I think it has been designed and developed with great understanding of real-world problems of data integration...'
Click here to read what Vincent McBurney had to say on Toolbox for IT: 'It's a great way to check out a product and it doesn't have all the conditions and restrictions of Informatica on Demand.'
And click here to try the expressor eval edition for yourself.
- Steve Casey, marketing
Posted by expressor software at 3:15 PM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2009
La rentree - momentum in Europe and beyond
Just a quick note to say I've been having a great time in Europe over the past month - starting with vacation time in Spain and Portugal, then a visit to the continent and ending this week in London with exciting partner and customer meetings.
expressor is holding its first partner conference here on Wednesday, with more than half a dozen partner companies joining us for in-depth product demos, roadmap discussions and strategy sessions. We look forward to sharing our plans and hearing their input.
We're also exhibiting at another Netezza Enzee Universe event this week, following on our attendance at the Enzee Universe events in Boston and Washington, DC earlier this month. The customers at these Netezza events have been enthusiastic about the expressor value proposition and our partnership with Netezza is only growing stronger.
Back to Boston next week!
- Michael Waclawiczek, VP of marketing
Posted by expressor software at 3:15 PM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2009
"good enough" technology and data integration
Great article in Wired the other day about the 'good enough revolution' in technology - how simple and affordable devices like the Flip video camera have achieved market dominance over 'better' competing products.
This is a real trend, with implications for IT as well. In her 'Business-Driven Architect' blog on ebizQ, Brenda Michelson notes that 'good enough' technology is all about 'ease of use, continuous availability and low price.'
Sounds like the expressor semantic data integration system to me - which not only provides 80% of the traditional functionality of the established ETL/DI players at about 20% of the cost, but also offers breakthrough capabilities in performance and smart semantic, which they don't have.
As Rick Sherman put it in his white paper, 'Data Integration: Increasing its Success and ROI,' 'If we used the same logic in selecting and purchasing a calculator as IT groups do for ETL tools then all of us would walk out of the office supplies store with a scientific, graphing calculator. Why? Because those calculators are the most feature-laden, and therefore the 'best.' ...The 'best' ETL products are great, but they are generally expensive, complex and require a greater investment (time, money and skills) than other products, which also may do everything you want but at a potentially significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO).'
- Steve Casey, marketing
Posted by expressor software at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
September 8, 2009
take expressor for a test drive with eval edition
expressor's new eval edition is a hosted version of the expressor semantic data integration system that lets developers create, test, modify and run expressor drawings. expressor eval edition users can run as many as four projects that demonstrate expressor's rich integration flow design and transformation functionality, its unique ability to natively process complex data and its powerful parallel data processing engine. eval edition users also receive free technical support and can access all product documentation.
Click here to read more and register.
- Steve Casey, marketing
Posted by expressor software at 9:15 AM | Comments (0)
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