Product category:
Factory data acquisition
News Release from: i2 Technologies | Subject: Master Data Management technology software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 20 April 2005
Data management capability to extend
outwards
i2 Technologies has begun to identify and evaluate potential opportunities to expand its Master Data Management technology beyond its current supply chain management applications.
i2 Technologies, a leading provider of demand-driven supply chain solutions designed to enable business agility, has begun to identify and evaluate potential opportunities to expand its Master Data Management (MDM) technology beyond its current supply chain management applications "Based on customer and partner feedback and the evaluation of MDM by third party resources, we have begun to evaluate possible ways in which we might be able to expand our Master Data Management technology to enhance its value to the company," said Michael McGrath, i2 chief executive officer
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 8 Oct 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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"I believe there is opportunity for i2 MDM technology not just within supply chain applications, but also beyond those applications." Master Data Management technology is designed to gather, synchronise, cleanse, synthesise, and distribute critical reference data about products, customers, suppliers, organizations, and resources.
i2 originally developed its MDM technology to provide a common platform for its supply chain customers to exchange real-time data internally and externally with partners to achieve supply chain agility.
MDM technology can help provide IT agility, as well as support emerging technology markets such as product information management (PIM), customer data integration (CDI) and enterprise information integration (EII).
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Product information management (PIM) is one of the initial growth opportunities for MDM technology, and Forrester Research rates i2's MDM technology as one of the leaders in the emerging PIM market.
"i2 Master Data Management is strong in some core areas like the data model, data extraction/transformation, synchronization, workflow, PIM standards support, scalability, and architecture".
"It is scalable and integrates well with existing systems, and is the only product to earn a score of five in the cost category".
"Differentiators include strength in features like version control, security and auditing, and reporting," wrote Erica Rugullies, Forrester Research, in a Product Information Management report dated December 6, 2004.
A multi-billion dollar North American retailer is using i2's MDM technology to tether Excel spreadsheets to corporate data and systems, enabling it to empower its employees with the flexibility of Excel while maintaining critical data integrity and security.
The company reports that before its implementation of i2 MDM, it was tracking data on disparate Excel spreadsheets.
Now, it can more efficiently make intelligent decisions through improved visibility of corporate data across all facets of its company.
"i2 MDM is a horizontal technology with broad opportunities outside of our own supply chain applications," said i2's McGrath".
""We are beginning to explore potential alternatives that we believe may create new business opportunities using our MDM technology." McGrath stated that the company could conclude that none of the alternatives being explored should be pursued at this time".
" "Whether or not we pursue any of these alternatives, i2 intends to focus on its core supply chain business and expects to continue to incorporate the MDM technology into its software offerings," he added.
i2 has already begun creating partnerships for its MDM technology".
""When we entered the MDM partnership with i2 last year, we found their solution to be comprehensive and market leading".
"The solution offers significant competitive advantage," states N Chandraskeran, executive vice president of Global Operations for Tata Consultancy Services".
""Master data management is a major issue that concerns companies in multiple industries".
"There is opportunity in the market and we look forward to working with the i2 in the future as it evaluates ways to increase its MDM market presence." "We partnered with i2 on MDM because it was the best solution in the market," said Iwao Fuchigami, senior vice president and board member, NEC Corporation".
""We are using this solution both inside NEC and for our systems integration customers." i2 MDM is delivering value to companies across multiple industries including retail, high tech and automotive, throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa and Australia.
Through partnerships with TCS, NEC, Patni, Satyam and Optimal Solutions, i2 has broadened the reach of MDM into a variety of countries and industries.
The evaluation of potential MDM opportunities is being led by Pallab Chatterjee, i2's president of Solutions Operations".
" "Pallab has a unique combination of insight into this new market and broad technical and business management experience".
"He is the ideal executive to lead the company's evaluation of these potential alternatives and help us determine whether the company should pursue any of them," said McGrath.
About i2 - i2 is a leading provider of demand-driven supply chain solutions designed to enable business agility.
i2's flexible solutions can synchronise demand and supply across an ever-changing global supply network.
Nineteen of the AMR Research Top 25 Global Supply Chains belong to companies who are i2 customers.
Seven of the Fortune global top 10 are also customers of i2.
Founded in 1988 with a commitment to customer success and supply chain innovation, i2 has a history of delivering value by implementing solutions designed to provide a rapid return on investment.
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