IBM Tops Gartner's CDI Hub Quadrant

Gartner has unveiled its "Magic Quadrant for Customer Data Integration Hubs, 2Q06," slotting IBM as the sole leader in the market segment. However, according to the report, IBM's prowess in customer data integration (CDI) is still being consolidated. Gartner defines CDI hubs as software products that support the global identification and linking of customer information across multiple data sources; create and manage a central, database-based system of record; and enable the delivery of a single customer view. IBM has made a number of acquisitions to bolster its data integration capabilities. For example, it acquired data integration software vendor Ascential Software and CDI middleware provider DWL in 2005, and product information management middleware provider Trigo Technologies and content management vendor Venetica in 2004. IBM WebSphere Customer Center (WCC), formerly the DWL Customer offering, and WebSphere Product Center (WPC), a previous Trigo product, form "the centerpiece of IBM's MDM solutions," the report states. But Gartner adds that IBM needs to improve the integration of its acquired and homegrown functionality, particularly in the metadata area. "The MDM group has a strong vision to standardize and extend its MDM offerings and integrate them with data warehousing, process, and business service models for the banking, insurance, retail, and telecommunications industries," the report states. While there are no contenders in the challengers quadrant, seven vendors were identified as niche players: Cordys, DataFlux, Oracle, Purisma, SAP, Sun Microsystems, and VisionWare. Integrated SOA-based software vendor, Cordys, is noted in the report as having a vision for managing all types of master data including customer and product data and using a flexible framework approach, while DataFlux's strong suits include its data profiling, data quality, and identity management capabilities. Oracle delivers data quality capabilities through offerings like Data Quality Manager, Data Librarian, and Oracle Customers Online, according to Gartner. The report also adds that the company plans on providing a range of data hubs including the existing Customer Data Hub and the PIM Data Hub as part of a broad MDM strategy. Gartner notes that organizations should consider Oracle CDH if they have significant investment in Oracle apps and technologies and are in a product-centric industry, and should consider migrating to Fusion CDI after 2010. Purisma's CDI functionality is in the Purisma Customer Registry, a customer identity management tool, while SAP offers its MDM product as part of the NetWeaver application infrastructure suite. Sun offers its SeeBeyond eView Studio product, an enterprise module that uses data cleansing and matching technology as part of its CDI hub functionality, and VisionWare's MultiVue Identification Server, based on Microsoft's .NET infrastructure, helps organizations identify and match people to information. Initiate Systems, Oracle's Siebel Systems, and Siperian secured spots as visionaries, which according to Gartner are vendors that display healthy innovation and strong potential to influence the direction of the CDI hub market, but are limited in execution or track record. Siebel's CDI hub capabilities include its Siebel Universal Customer Master (UCM), an MDM solution. Gartner suggests considering Siebel UCM if "you have substantial investments and increasingly see Oracle Fusion CRM applications and Oracle Fusion Middleware as a strategic direction," and to consider migrating to the Fusion CDI product after 2010. Initiate, described by Gartner as the largest pure-play CDI hub vendor, provides enterprise master person index (EMPI) software to the healthcare industry, but has customers in other verticals like financial services, government, hospitality, and retail. Siperian Hub, Siperian's multiproduct CDI and master data platform, allows organizations to create a master data hub for customers and related locations and product and asset entities. Overall, Gartner suggests that organizations lacking a consistent, complete, and accurate single view of the customer should consider packaged CDI hub offerings. "The market for CDI hubs is evolving quickly, with a constant stream of new market entrants, a degree of consolidation and increasing market dominance by the big infrastructure players." Related articles: Companies Still Grapple with Effective CDM The Next Generation of CDI Master Data Management

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