ParAccel is pushing high-performance analytics in the latest version of its database.
In PADB (ParAccel Analytic Database) 3.0-due for general release later this month-organizations can expect a number of enhancements meant to improve speed and performance, said Michael Weir, senior director of marketing for the company.
“PADB extensible analytics ports highly sophisticated analytics natively into the database to provide maximum performance by eliminating wasteful data movement,” he said. “Our approach to extensibility also leverages a familiar, flexible and repeatable approach that customers require to quickly and efficiently implement additional custom analytics.”
“In addition to new native analytic functions, this new functionality also provides a key avenue of current and future partnership with third-party providers of advanced, prebuilt analytic modules,” he continued. “Using an extensible approach to analytics, customers can quickly leverage “off-the-shelf” advanced statistical modules for their particular use case, industry vertical, or even create their own unique competitive advantage. Starting with PADB 3.0, customers can build competitive advantage by creating and customizing analytic functionality using familiar programming languages. This enables them to utilize a broader set of resources along with their existing SQL jockeys to drive decision-making.”
The capability can also be used to natively leverage parallel programming frameworks such as MapReduce to enable easier access to unstructured data and ease of integration with traditional structured queries, Weir said.
ParAccel has a number of competitors, including Vertica Systems, Sensage and Aster Data Systems, as well as larger vendors like IBM and EMC (due to the Greenplum acquisition). To analyst Matt Aslett, the company’s plans for in-database analytics reflect the need for high-performance analytics in the company’s core markets of government, financial services and retail.
“To me, it’s not so much about putting them ahead as playing to their strengths in high performance analytics for key verticals such as financial services and government,” said Matt Aslett, an analyst with The 451 Group. “I would see Greenplum and Vertica as more general-purpose data warehousing engine plays (albeit with advanced analytics). The same goes for the wider columnar DB vendors-it’s not so much about one being ahead of the other at this stage as it is them jostling to find the right niche that will differentiate them.”
PADB 3.0 is slated to be generally available Dec. 15.