Businesses using IBM databases for online trade could be
in for a nasty shock now that the company is to withdraw from its
relationship with supplier Hyperion, research firm AMR
warned.
Hyperion supplies technology for online transaction processing,
to analyse data from online customer systems, aiding customer
relationship applications and business intelligence systems.
IBM has supplied Hyperion's Essbase Olap technology with its DB2
Olap server database software since 1996. Users will have to choose
a strategy to migrate away from Essbase. IBM will support it until
2007, but the product will no longer be developed.
AMR's vice-president of research, John Hagerty, said some
customers will be left with no clear migration path because, aside
from Essbase, Hyperion does not support either mainframe or AS/400
systems.
"It is important to begin the planning now, as the
decommissioning date is not that far off. Companies that have built
analytic applications and Olap-based datamarts using DB2 Olap
Server must decide whether the risk of running on an unsupported
product is too great," he said.
Although Hyperion will make it relatively easy to move to its
product, Hagerty warned there would be expenses.
In an internal memo Hyperion said users currently on IBM
maintenance will have the opportunity to exchange IBM DB2 Olap
Server licences for matching Hyperion Essbase licences.
IBM is also encouraging DB2 Olap customers to migrate to
Hyperion maintenance support .