KPMG News
December 15, 1997
First
Data Warehousing Facility to Offer Rapid Testing with Diverse Analysis Tools Mobil Oil
Among First to Test at Center
Flagstaff, Ariz. (December 15,
1997 ) — KPMG Consulting, the consulting arm of KPMG LLP, in partnership
with Retrograde Data-Systems and Northern Arizona University, today announced the opening
of the Center for Data Insight (CDI), the first academic facility designed to help
companies test and develop leading data mining technologies.
Located on the campus of
Northern Arizona University, CDI
combines KPMG Consulting's business and analytical
knowledge with Retrograde's data mining analysis and the University's College of
Engineering and Technology and College of Business Administration's technical experience.
At the Center, companies can test a combination of tools, from data warehousing to
advanced analytical engines, to techniques for visualizing and understanding new knowledge
extracted from raw data.
Companies can use up to six
different software tools to build and test prototype models for data mining. The new
Center allows companies to cut testing time from the typical 12 months to four weeks and
use third-party expertise and independent evaluations to evaluate and select appropriate
data mining tools.
"KPMG Consulting
recognizes the business impact of data mining technologies in transforming company data
into corporate intelligence," said Steve Cranford, partner-in-charge of KPMG's Data
Warehousing. "The Center is an example of KPMG Consulting's commitment to providing
low-risk environments where companies, using their own data, can work through the
knowledge discovery process to solve a variety of real-world business problems."
Because no one product has the
breadth and depth of all statistical needs, the Center offers clients an opportunity to
create specific, business-oriented data mining applications. Without such a testing
environment, companies would be required to evaluate disparate vendor offerings and
purchase multiple tools, significantly increasing the time and financial investment spent
on data mining technologies.
Clients using the Center can
load their own data onto servers and utilize a variety of data mining tools for knowledge
discovery and management as well as data analysis. Organizations in financial services,
retail, and the telecommunications industries can take their own raw data, organize and
analyze it, and then employ different modeling techniques such as customer retention and
lifetime value models. Currently, Mobil Oil Corporation is using the Center in this
capacity.
NAU Provost Charles Connell
observed, "The new Center is an excellent opportunity for NAU to provide a first rate
education to our students in the very important technical area of Data Mining while
providing our faculty with the opportunity to collaborate with KPMG to perform
leading-edge applied research for businesses."
Vendor partners include Angoss
Software Corporation, Cognos, CrossZ Software, DataMind Corporation, DBStar, ISL Decision
Systems, Oracle Corporation, SAS Institute Inc., Silicon Graphics, Inc., Sun Microsystems,
Inc., Thinking Machines Corporation, Unica Technologies, Inc., Visible Decisions, and
VMARK Software, Inc.
About
KPMG Consulting's Data Warehousing Practice
KPMG Consulting is an
industry leader in delivering data warehousing
solutions that can provide maximum value to clients. Utilizing the firm's
comprehensive methodology and extensive technology resources, KPMG Consulting and data
warehousing teams assist clients in assessing their business needs and identifying the
corresponding enabling technology requirements. In concert with the client, KPMG
Consulting professionals can then implement the most effective approach, whether it be a
custom data warehouse or an Accelerated Business Solution SM (ABS). ABS is a new service delivery model from KPMG that helps
clients implement data warehousing and its allied technologies across the enterprise in
less time, with less cost and risk than traditional approaches. |
