SAS/DataFlux in Leaders Quadrant: 2011 Data Integration Tools Magic Quadrant

Release date: 11/1/2011

SAS®/DataFlux® drive data integration with lengthy experience and global reach

CARY, N.C. (November 1, 2011) —SAS/DataFlux, leading providers of data management and  business analytics, have been placed in the Leaders quadrant of Gartner Inc.’s 2011 Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools report.¹

DataFlux and its parent company, SAS, deliver full-featured data integration technologies that tackle today’s rapidly growing data volume, pressure to extract value from data and the need for faster decisions.

“Leaders in the data integration tools market are front runners in the convergence of single-purpose tools into an offering that supports a range of data delivery styles. These vendors are strong in the more traditional data integration patterns. They also support newer patterns and provide capabilities that enable data services in the context of SOA, Leaders have significant mind share in the market, and resources skilled in their tools are readily available. These vendors establish market trends, to a large degree, by providing new functional capabilities in their products, and by identifying new types of business problems to which data integration tools can bring significant value. Examples of deployments that span multiple projects and types of use case are common among Leaders' customers,” says the report by Eric Thoo, Ted Friedman and Mark A. Beyer.

With robust solutions including high-performance data management, analytical data preparation, real-time data integration, data federation and SOA integration, SAS and DataFlux provide a clear path to improved business analytics, better decisions and master data management (MDM).

Data as foundation
To build a system to support its research and the state’s K-12 reporting and analysis, the University of Arkansas’ National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems (NORMES) needed to compile and manage disparate data.

“We had to first assemble and manage the data so our reports and analysis were based on the right data,” said Sean Mulvenon, PhD, Director of NORMES. “One of the key benefits of SAS is that the data management, analytics and reporting are all from the same provider and are well-integrated. The value of this to the state of Arkansas is enormous.”

One grade-inflation study relating to the No Child Left Behind Act examined whether students were college-ready. Comparing grade point averages with exam results required integrating data from school records, standardized tests and other sources. Mulvenon's team developed metrics to determine if schools were inflating grades, how, and whether inflation was systemic.

“Data integration underpins a broader information management strategy for turning raw data into useful information,” said Jim Davis, SAS Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s about improving decisions, which only happens if the data is ready. SAS and DataFlux know that data integration and analytics are intertwined.”

Tony Fisher, President and CEO of DataFlux, said, “Organizations need to create and enforce the same standards and rules for data, especially as the amount and complexity of data increases. SAS and DataFlux have long helped companies deliver value from data, and our solutions help companies with the full life cycle of data management.”

¹ Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools, Eric Thoo, Ted Friedman and Mark A. Beyer, October 27, 2011.

About the Magic Quadrant
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2011 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the “Leaders” quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
 

About DataFlux
DataFlux enables business agility and IT efficiency by providing innovative data management technology and services that transform data into a strategic asset. A wholly owned subsidiary of SAS, DataFlux helps organizations manage critical aspects of data through unified technologies and expertise that provide the benefits of data quality, data integration and master data management (MDM).

About SAS
SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS helps customers at more than 50,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.