Informatica offers data migration suite to Aussie channel

Informatica Corporation, an independent provider of data integration software, has announced the release of Informatica Data Migration Suite to assist enterprise in the IT transition following mergers, acquisitions, consolidation and outsourcing of critical services and functions.

A 2007 Bloor Research study revealed the budget for data migration projects undertaken by Global 2000 companies will rise 10 percent annually, exceeding US$8billion by 2012. Laurie Newman, managing director, Informatica Australia claimed the rise in demand for data migration technology is linked to corporations seeking to consolidate data spread over several locations.

“Data migration addresses the basic issue of moving data from one environment to another to maximise efficiency and visibility,” said Newman. “It also ensures data complies with legislation, companies are in the best position to have all the information they need about their customers and it’s cost effective.”

The Suite features Informatica applications such as PowerExchange, PowerCenter, Informatica Data Explorer and Informatica Data Quality. According to Newman, data migration projects have a reputation for encountering costly complications, generally as a result of a poor tactical approach.

“A problem currently faced by businesses is the lack of established methodology on how to approach data migration,” he said. “We philosophise the need for an integration competency centre to evaluate data and ensure the presence of suitable applications, consistent methodology and system integration services. Once these three elements are installed and locked down there is a higher rate of success.”

Newman reiterated the importance of maintaining data integrity throughout the migration process, which creates opportunities to standardise and streamline the information being transferred.

“When migrating data it is important to consider data profiling and create consistency to ensure effective data governance, where the data has the best integrity when moved,” he said.

Data migration is also notorious for being a slow and costly process. The size and complexity of organisations and the associated volumes of data will invariably cause delays, however the lack of conformity in terms of format is the main stumbling block, said Newman.

“The movement of data, which is key to a data migration project, is associated with a lot of time and effort. It can take years to complete a project when you consider that you may have a multi-national with a presence in 35 countries,” he explained.

“There are also hidden costs when data exists in different formats and companies need to change the format of that data to then integrate it,” he added.

Wipro Tech, an Informatica partner, recently released a rebranded data migration offering with Informatica technology embedded in the solution. Newman claimed this minimises the likelihood of complications.

“Some partners use Informatica on a case by case basis; however there are a growing number looking to standardise their offerings. Having it embedded in a solution is the next step in successful data migration,” he said ...

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