PowerCenter is a core data integration platform that facilitates the centralized access and utilization of fragmented datasets, which may exist in multiple formats including both DBs and unstructured documents throughout the enterprise. The core PowerCenter offering supplies the base platform that allows both for the collection of such data as well as the Web-services-based core services that facilitate the management, manipulation, and delivery of that data to requesting applications and personnel.

The base PowerCenter platform is now served in three flavors: PowerCenter Standard Edition, PowerCenter Real Time Edition, and PowerCenter Advanced Edition. All supply core features, including:

- Provide access to data in multiple formats from multiple sources

- Apply reusable transformation logic processes to such data for standardization

- Access and exchange metadata pertaining to data stores

- A "codeless" visual development environment, including debugger and error handling features

- Time or event-based integration process schedulers

- A Web services (XML, WSDL, and SOAP) stack facilitating access to data, metadata, and PowerCenter workflows

- A Web services hub feature facilitating the delivery of transformed data to consumer applications

New to the product family is the vendor's Real Time Edition which extends PowerCenter Standard Edition with the ability to integrate and provision data in real time. The Real Time Edition enhances the vendor's existing PC Real Time Option (which is still available as a separate option) with capabilities including workflow, streaming real-time change data capture, connectivity to Web services, and more.

The advanced version adds to the core feature set the MetaData Manager, which provides an audit trail for changes as data moves through the system as well as change management tools via a visual map of data dependencies; team-based development features including versioning controls and automated deployment workflows; and the Data Analyzer, which provides wizard-based dashboards and reports for the delivery of selected data to users.

On this base platform the vendor offers separately available options to extend the platform's data management capabilities, including data cleansing and federation, grid and HA deployments, a partitioning option allowing for the definition of data subsets that can be processed in parallel on multiple CPUs, and a Data Masking option (protects sensitive data by automatically masking it while in transit), among others.

PowerCenter is available now; the new release is expected to be available in late June/early July. Entry-level pricing for the Standard Edition is $140,000.

Visit the vendor's Web site for further information.

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