Updated DB2 boosts analytics while cutting costs

IBM has announced new versions of its DB2 database platform and InfoSphere Warehouse package.

DB2 9.7, codenamed Cobra, will help firms free up data centre space while cutting costs such as energy bills by up to 75 per cent, the firm said.

The new system will also be the industry's first database platform to offer business analytics for both relational and XML data concurrently, IBM said.

"Industries such as banking, healthcare and retail are grappling with the increasing costs of energy while managing, analysing and accessing information to achieve better business results," said Arvind Krishna, vice president, IBM Information Management Development. "With the new innovations in DB2 and InfoSphere Warehouse software, IBM is again delivering clients and partners higher performance and lower energy."

Also included in the update are workload management and automation tools that IBM said could cut administrative costs by up to 35 per cent.

Doug Coombs, information management software leader for IBM’s Software Group, said: "We have tried to make sure that DB2 is faster to implement and install, easier to build applications on, or to import them to, and saves people money. As well as the XML data management and administration benefits, it makes it really easy to look after databases, lowers costs and elevates performance."

Meanwhile, InfoSphere Warehouse 9.7 Enterprise Edition offers tools designed to simplify enterprise processes such as data analysis and data mining.

Pitched at smaller firms, or specific departments within large enterprises, IBM said that it would "allow them to transform their company's data into reliable and consistent business intelligence".

DB2 9.7 and InfoSphere Warehouse 9.7 will be available in June. Members of the firm's Early Access Program can try them out earlier.