January 26, 1998 Data Mart To Th e Web Sagent extends data analysis to browsers By John Foley agent Technology Inc. will introduce this week an upgrade to its data mart software package that extends Sagent's data-analysis capabilities to Web browsers. Most of the improvements in Data Mart Solution version 3.0 are the result of changes to the company's WebLink software, which provides a Web interface to Sagent's online analytical processing server. Sagent, in Palo Alto, Calif., has made it easier to design custom Web pages using sample applications and wizardlike controls that work with Microsoft's Web development tools. For the first time, WebLink also supports Active Server Pages and Extensible Markup Language. Data Mart Solution 3.0, in beta testing, is scheduled to be available next mon th, starting at $40,000. The upgrade is meant to extend basic data-analysis capabilities to general business users, says Perry Mizota, Sagent's VP of marketing. In particular, version 3.0 supports the ability to access data using a Web browser and to drill down into the data for more detail. The release doesn't support the kind of ad hoc queries and complex analyses sometimes required by more advanced users. "We think that starting simple is a good thing," says Mizota. Sagent is best known for its data transformation and movement tools, which are used to build data marts. Oracle, for example, has licensed Sagent's tools to incorporate into its own Data Mart Suites. Sagent's first desktop analysis tool, Information Studio, is meeting stiff competition from more established competitors such as Brio, Business Objects, and Cognos, Mizota admits. Data Mart Solution 3.0 is Sagent's next step in broadening its line of data access and analysis products. In a few months, the company plans to announce its first statistical analysis tool. And by the middle of the year, Sagent says it will introduce software that supports the distribution of static reports over the Web. Back to News in Review Send Us Your Feedback Top of the Page

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