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                        DSS News (tm)
                July 31, 2000--Vol. 1, No. 7
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Check the Power Keyboard at http://www.dssresources.com/powerkey/
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Featured:
* Ask Dan! -- What are the advantages and disadvantages of Data 
Warehouses?
* DSS News Stories
* What's New at DSSResources.COM
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Ask Dan! What are the advantages and disadvantages of Data Warehouses?
M.Choudhury@iti.salford.ac.uk wrote:
> 1) Why do you think companies are implementing data warehouses at a
> staggering rate?
Companies are implementing data warehouses for 2 major reasons: 1) 
managers want more information to support their decision-making and 2) 
competitors are implementing data warehouses and that has a "snowball" 
effect that encourages other companies to implement data warehouses.
> 2) What do you think are the primary motivators for investing in a
> Data Warehouse/Data Mart?  i.e. identifying new customers, Reduce >
cost 
> of operations, etc.
I think the primary motivation for investing in data warehouses is to 
provide more timely information for decision-making.  Some managers 
claim the purpose is to serve current customers better, but managers 
aren't always clear about how that will happen.  The growth of the 
Business Intelligence/OLAP software market indicates that managers need 
more than faster access to data.  Managers need analysis of data to gain 
benefits from data warehouses/data marts.
 
> 3) a. What advantages are there in developing a Data Warehouse?
The three advantages that initially come to mind are:
a. integration of data
b. new types of analyses can be performed
c. historical data becomes more accessible
In another Ask Dan! What are the benefits of a data warehouse?
I stated the benefits to putting your data into a data warehouse 
include: 
1. Merging subject specific data together to create information 
2. Standardizing data across the organization
3. Improving turnaround time for reporting
4. Lowering costs to print and distribute reports
5. Sharing data or allowing others to easily access your data 
> 3) b. What disadvantages are there in implementing a data warehouse?
The major disadvantage is that a data warehouse can be costly to 
maintain and that becomes a problem if the warehouse is underutilized.  
It seems that managers have unrealistic expectations about what they 
will get from having a data warehouse.
Note to DSS News Subscribers: If you have had experience with Data 
Warehouses, please post your answers to the above questions to the 
DSSResources.COM bulletin board.
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DSS News Stories
07/31/2000 SPSS announced nViZn ("envision"), a grammar-based approach 
to visual analysis implemented in Java. It gives developers components 
and templates to build customized analytical applications. 
07/28/2000 Call for Papers: Workshop on Integration of Knowledge 
Management and Management Support Systems, Baden-Baden, Germany, March 
14-16, 2001. Submission Deadline: October 15, 2000.
07/27/2000 Dow Chemical Co. fired 50 employees, disciplined 200 for 
inappropriate e-mails. Computer Economics estimates U.S. companies lost 
$5.3 billion in productivity to recreational Web surfing in 1999.
07/27/2000 NCR announced it upgraded two Teradata(R) Warehouse 
environments for The Limited, Inc. One solution supports business 
intelligence solutions for merchandising applications; the second 
supports customer focused analysis.
07/26/2000 ExpertCommerce partners with Cardonet to offer Content 
Management and Decision Support solution to B2B Markets. eValEngine 
provides decision-making technology and analysis tools to drive purchase 
decisions.
07/25/2000 SPOTFIRE delivers version 5.0 of Spotfire.net Decision 
Analytics Software. Capabilities help deliver Web-based Decision Support 
to Scientists, Researchers, Engineers and Product Managers.
07/25/2000 Business Objects announced BUSINESSOBJECTS 2000, a strategic 
business intelligence platform and integrated toolset. It has been 
tested and evaluated by more than 70 beta sites worldwide.
07/24/2000 AlphaBlox announced the immediate availability of AlphaBlox 
3.0. It provides personalized delivery of Web-based analytical 
applications.
07/23/2000 Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested to his fellow 
leaders at the Group of Eight summit in Nago, Okinawa they should all 
communicate by e-mail. Most G-8 officials pointed out that few national 
leaders can use computers or even type. See Chicago Tribune story.
07/20/2000 Microsoft announced new cookie management features for 
Internet Explorer 5.5. These new features help consumers protect their 
personal information on the Internet.
07/20/2000 Assistum announced site licences for academic use of the 
Knowledge Editor. For details of discounts for academic use, contact 
info@assistum.com. Check www.assistum.com. 
07/20/2000 Knowledge Management Software (KMS) and Cognos announced a 
strategic business partnership. KMS's Deskartes software helps manage 
unstructured information and has natural language capabilities. It 
supports Cognos' advanced data analysis software.
07/19/2000 Sun Microsystems announced it will release the source code of 
its StarOffice[tm] Suite under the GNU General Public License (GPL). 
Check OpenOffice.org/. 
07/19/2000 Cognos announced Finance 5.0 with integrated Web reporting 
and budgeting capabilities.
07/19/2000 SPSS Inc. announced SPSS 10.0 for Macintosh.
07/18/2000 Researchers find Microsoft Outlook security bug. Attackers 
can control PC by sending an e-mail. Malicious code in e-mail header 
executes when target computer downloads e-mail. Microsoft says home 
users at greatest risk. Check MSNBC.COM.
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What's New? at DSSResources.COM
07/26/2000 Updated Journals/Newsgroups page.
07/24/2000 Posted PowerKey(sm) Web Keyboard. It was designed by D. J. 
Power and programmed in JavaScript by A. P. Power.
07/17/2000 Posted Inflation Analysis Decision Aid. It was designed by D. 
J. Power and programmed in JavaScript by A. P. Power.
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