Information Builders has unveiled WebFOCUS for IBM System z Data Warehousing, a specialized edition of the WebFOCUS System z product line designed for System z users interested in implementing data warehousing and BI offerings while leveraging IBM native z/OS and zIIP specialty engine capabilities.

The company claims that the new offering enables large enterprise customers to scale data warehousing and reporting offerings to meet the requirements of users with existing System z infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of traditional distribution systems.

According to Information Builders, the new offering comprises of two software components Data Loader for DB2 and Data Reporter for DB2. The Data Loader for DB2 is a version of iWay Software’s z/OS-based DataMigrator product, designed for loading and management of DB2 database data synchronization processes and the Data Reporter for DB2 is a version of Information Builders’ z/OS based WebFOCUS BI platform, designed for building internet-based BI applications or as a guided ad hoc query tool for businesses using a DB2 enterprise data warehouse.

The company said that the WebFOCUS for System z Data Warehousing uses a common server, metadata, and data access architecture native to the z/OS environment. In addition, it uses System z zIIP’s exploitive capabilities, reducing the operational costs of data synchronisation, operational reporting, and ad hoc queries.

Gerald Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders, said: WebFOCUS for System z Data Warehousing provides large-scale IBM customers, with a significant investment in z/OS operating systems, solutions to implement data warehousing and business intelligence applications, avoiding the complexity and incremental hardware, software, and operational investments associated with distributed systems or dual-operating systems environments.