NCR Corp has bought some multimedia and parallel database technology from the University of Wisconsin – ranked among the top three US universities for database technologies – as an investment in the future of its Teradata relational database management software. NCR says it has bought prototype code which has exciting object relational capabilities and which will enable it to build some sophisticated multimedia analysis capabilities into Teradata. The company, which earlier this year said it aims to become the number one vendor of datawarehousing systems (CI No 3,302), has already added some basic multimedia capabilities into its flagship product, with the facility to store and retrieve video clips and graphics. NCR says this fully meets the requirements of its customers at this time, but the new technology will be integrated into Teradata in the next one to two years, when the company believes users will want more sophisticated multimedia analysis capabilities, for example to enable analysis of fingerprints, retinal scans or video clips. As part of the deal, NCR says it is developing a much tighter relationship with the university. It has signed up the two professors that worked on developing the object relational technology, Geoff Naughton and David De Witt, to act as consultants on its future development. The company will also set up an advanced database research laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, near the University, where it hopes to employ around 15 researchers, both from the university and elsewhere, to develop new database technologies and complement the company’s existing parallel systems and software research facilities in San Diego and El Segundo, California. Finally, NCR will donate $500,000 to the University to fund two graduate fellowships.
