Many solutions exist in the marketplace for Master Data Management, such as Informatica, IBM InfoSphere, and Oracle MDM, even including industry specialists such as EnergyIQ. However, many software buyers don’t realize that they already own an MDM platform through their existing Microsoft SQL Server licenses. Even if you don’t currently have Microsoft’s MDM toolset, it can be acquired at a much lower cost of entry than the “big boys” by purchasing SQL Server Business Intelligence Edition.
What does the Microsoft MDM toolset bring to the table? Microsoft’s primary offering for MDM is SQL Server’s Master Data Services (MDS). Additionally, it is common to layer on Data Quality Services (DQS) in a SQL Server MDM solution as it is a natural fit to the needs of MDM projects. Both MDS and DQS are available in SQL Server Business Intelligence Edition (or Enterprise Edition).
What is MDS? Like many Microsoft offerings, MDS was originally a third party product under a different name. The MDS technology was acquired by Microsoft and incorporated as a module within the SQL Server product. MDS helps keep your data centralized and synchronized across multiple systems. Custom business rules embedded within MDS enable you to reconcile your disparate data sources into one cohesive repository.
What is DQS? DQS consists of both server and client components. The server component catalogs and stores data quality rules that make up the DQS knowledgebase about your data. The client application empowers information workers in the business (or IT professionals) to perform automated data quality analysis and interactively manipulate data to ensure its cleanliness.
Together, MDS and DQS are a powerful one-two punch that gets your data into shape. You can quickly build a Master Data Management solution with minimal software licensing costs. Entrance helps clients implement MDM solutions on the SQL Server platform and is ready to assist you in leveraging the full value of your master data across all the applications in your business.