PricewaterhouseCoopers Expands Data Warehouse Services

PricewaterhouseCoopers is expanding its data warehousing implementation services into the area of customer- and business-operations-data analysis. The systems-integration and IT consulting firm Tuesday unveiled its iAnalytics services, which will rely heavily on data warehouse technology and analytical applications from Informatica Corp.

PricewaterhouseCoopers already has a $500 million business designing and building data warehouse systems for companies. The iAnalytics initiative will build on that foundation by bringing business intelligence to a wider audience within its customer base and at new client sites, says Larry Gosselin, director of PricewaterhouseCoopers' data warehouse practice.

Under the iAnalytics program, PricewaterhouseCoopers will design and build data warehouse systems using Informatica's PowerCenter software, combining data from Web sites, operational enterprise resource planning and customer-relationship management applications, and external sources. PricewaterhouseCoopers' clients can analyze that data using Informatica's CRM, supply-chain, and business-operations analytical applications. Portals will be used to deliver reports to some users. The iAnalytics services and software will be priced on a case-by-case basis.

Later this year, vertical-market capabilities will be added to iAnalytics. Says Joe Butt, a Forrester Research senior analyst, "I think the systems integrators are well-suited to do this because in many cases they do have the necessary vertical expertise."