Simba Technologies, Inc.
Meeting ODBC Integration Requirements for Alterian PLC

Alterian Attains High Performance Integration Using SimbaEngine SDK

"Simba Technologies was able to provide Alterian with an ODBC connectivity solution by customizing its SimbaEngine SDK to provide interoperability between Alterian CBAT engine and Partner applications, such as SPSS' advanced analytical technology. As a result, Alterian is able to offer a highly integrated business intelligence solution that meets the needs of our customers. Alterian is proud to consider Simba Technologies a strategic data connectivity partner."

CEO, Alterian PLC

Overview

Alterian PLC (Alterian) provides the latest generation data analytics solutions underpinned by its high-performance data analysis technology that delivers results to analytical queries on large volumes of data in seconds. The Alterian technology framework includes its industry leading Column Based Analytical Technology (CBAT) engine with a set of Alterian Application Modules that are fully functional products with a range of features that benefit business users across various sectors of an organization.

Alterian's CBAT and Application Modules can be applied to develop solutions that meet the business requirements of a wide range of customers. In order to deliver complete solutions, Alterian works with partners who offer complimentary and best-in-class business intelligence capabilities.

One of Alterian's partners is SPSS Inc. who provides data mining technology and advanced analytical technology for enhanced decision making. As a result, SPSS helps organizations turn data into insight through predictive analytics.

Data Access Decision

Simba Technologies Inc. (Simba) offers SimbaEngine SDK a Software Development Toolkit (SDK) that incorporates a full SQL Engine and provides ODBC, JDBC, OLE DB, ADO and ADO.NET connectivity to underlying proprietary data sources.

Alterian needed to optimize the interoperability between its CBAT engine and Partner applications.

Alterian chose to use SimbaEngine SDK as this product had been extensively tested by many leading business intelligence vendors and was proven to be a best-in-class product. While evaluating SimbaEngine SDK, Alterian learned that it could be used to build a stable and robust ODBC Driver that could be rapidly integrated into its CBAT engine to provide the necessary functionality. Alterian found that SimbaEngine SDK demonstrated unsurpassed support for SQL syntax and had a variety of features that would allow them to customize the ODBC Driver to reflect the unique attributes of their underlying proprietary data source.

Business Challenge

Alterian required an open data access connectivity ODBC interface (ODBC) on its CBAT engine. The business objective was clear - to satisfy the needs of its customer base by allowing seamless interoperability between CBAT engine and Partner applications. Although Alterian wanted to better integrate with SPSS' advanced analytical technology in the near term, it also wanted the ability to better integrate with additional Partner applications in the future.

In order to meet the needs of their customers, Alterian was required to find a stable and robust connectivity solution that would allow them to connect their CBAT engine to a potential vast range of Partner applications and allow for a level of customization that would provide for better integration with these applications.

By choosing Simba, Alterian was able to leverage our proven technology, expertise in data connectivity and attentive support team to ensure that CBAT engine could be enhanced in a manner that met their business objective.

Solution

The solution that Simba provided to Alterian involved the following activities.

Building and Testing an ODBC Driver

Alterian used SimbaEngine SDK to build an ODBC Driver for their CBAT engine. Simba provided support to Alterian during all phases of development, including coding and testing.

Customization for Integration with SPSS' Advanced Analytical Technology

In order to allow Alterian to successfully integrate with SPSS' advanced analytical technology, Simba customized SimbaEngine SDK to permit creation of an ODBC Driver with the following enhanced characteristics:

• To increase the speed by which the CBAT engine was able to extract information via the ODBC Driver, changes were made to enhance the ability of the engine to trust imported data.
• To improve performance and functionality of the CBAT engine, additional SQL support, including syntax changes, were implemented.

Ongoing Support

Simba continues to fully support the ODBC Driver that Alterian built using SimbaEngine SDK to ensure that Alterian continues to meet the needs of its customers.

The Benefit to Alterian

Simba provided Alterian with a customized ODBC connectivity solution using SimbaEngine SDK. The resulting benefit to Alterian is that they have been able to optimize connectivity with Partner applications, such as SPSS' advanced analytical technology, to meet the needs of their customers. This capability has allowed Alterian to provide a more fully integrated business intelligence solution thereby attaining a stronger presence in the variety of vertical markets that it services.

About Simba Technologies

Simba Technologies (Simba) is the recognized world leader in standards based data access products, solutions, and services. We deliver data connectivity and interoperability solutions to many of the world's leading companies on various platforms including Windows, Solaris and Linux. Our best-in-class products support multiple interfaces, including ODBC, JDBC, OLE DB, OLE DB for OLAP, XML for Analysis, ADO, ADO.NET, ADOMD, and ADOMD.NET.

The Alterian name and logo and the CBAT name and logo are trademarks of Alterian PLC. Additional product names indicated herein may also be registered trademarks of other companies.