Arcplan Information Services AG, the German data extraction software provider, is spreading its wings in Europe, opening an office in the UK. Arcplan hopes that within two years the UK will provide 20% of its revenue, which last year was around $10m, according to Joerg Bahc, director of sales and head of the new operation in Feltham, Surrey.
The Dusseldorf firm’s products allow relatively low-skilled users to extract data from a variety of sources, including SAP’s R/3, and databases from Oracle, Hyperion, Applix, Informix and Sybase, although not Baan’s ERP systems. Arcplan’s inSight, for example, enables users who have a basic knowledge of object-oriented programming to build queries and interfaces to drag useful data from different locations on to the screen.
By constructing simple rectangles and selecting data sources to fill those shapes, users create tables, though Arcplan contains no online analytical processing (OLAP) functions. Arcplan tools do not replicate data to their own repository, therefore the process is quicker, Bahc claims, requiring no database management. The company is working on extending its web data extraction technology, which can currently access only certain information from the internet, providing it appears in specific formats.
Privately-owned Arcplan has offices in Philadelphia and San Francisco. It is growing at 100%, says Bahc, who expects the same kind of growth this year. Next year will see the company move into the third large West European market by establishing an office in Paris, France. The company employs around 50 people and will recruit five more for the London branch.
