As a self-acknowledged news junkie, I spend hours each day watching, reading, listening and otherwise absorbing what’s going on around the world. However, with so many sources—blogs and other online sites, TV, radio, etc.—it can be overwhelming. But even with so much out there, I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing something that’s really important.

Fortunately, I have an app that delivers the latest international and local news to my phone. Many of these items I don’t see anywhere else. It’s rare to find a resource that gives you not only what you want but also what you didn’t even realize you needed.

Kind of like Teradata 13.10. In the current issue of Teradata Magazine, Chief Technologist Todd Walter discusses this new Teradata Database release and its 8 Top features and options. According to Todd, Teradata 13.10 heals the rift in the space-time data continuum. How could I not know it needed healing? But now that it's come to my attention, I suggest we all go straight to our mobile devices or computers and start reading!
 

Mike Westholder
Managing Editor
Teradata Magazine

When I was a cub reporter on a daily newspaper, I could barely wait for that day’s edition to roll off the press. I wanted to hold in my hands the fruits of my labor, as well as those of my colleagues. Perhaps it was just the pleasure of seeing all the pieces come together that meant so much.

Now, due to the miracle we call the Internet I don’t even have to wait for the presses to stop before I can read the latest edition of Teradata Magazine. In front of me is the digital edition that contains within its pages a wealth of information including three articles featuring Teradata customers: Australian Pharmaceuticals Industries filled its prescription for timely BI with new Teradata appliances; Banco Compartamos improved its risk analysis and became the largest micro-finance institution in Latin America; and Bouygues Telecom decommissioned its old systems and achieved a 33% cost savings in BI services. You can read more about these customers and find the entire new issue of the publication at TeradataMagazine.com.

I’ll probably always be excited to hold the newspaper or magazine that I’ve had the privilege to work on—even if I’m reading it on an iPad.

Ginny Wennen
Associate Editor
Teradata Magazine

A recent spate of scorching-hot temperatures has driven me indoors recently, allowing me to catch up on my favorite TV program: “Top Gear.” A BBC America (bbcamerica.com) import, the show appeals to the 15-year-old in me with reviews of the latest super cars, oddball races pitting man against machine, and overriding sophomoric humor.

The best part is watching a top-of-the-line BMW, Ferrari or Lamborghini race through the Top Gear track. Then each car’s lap time is posted on a board, showing where it ranks against all other cars ever featured on the program. There’s something intriguing, almost instinctive, about wanting to see how fast something goes.

The same is true of the Teradata Extreme Performance Appliance, the first data warehouse solution based entirely on a solid-state storage (SSD) approach. Utilizing Teradata Blurr Technology, this high-performance machine delivers up to 20 times faster scan queries.

Like the Bugatti Veyron—the fastest production car in the world—it’s at the top of any analytics leader board.

Mike Westholder
Managing Editor
Teradata Magazine

While out shopping recently, hard as I tried, I couldn’t help but notice all of the “back to school” merchandise being hawked. For most of us, “back to school” means summer is coming to a close. A sad prelude to what lies ahead: A long, cold winter, at least for folks like me here in Minnesota.

But it takes more than a glance at a calendar for merchants to determine what shoppers want to buy and when. In the Teradata Magazine article “The customer is back!” Rodney Nelsestuen explains that with today’s economy, it’s more important than ever to manage customer decisions well. In essence, decision management requires a supporting framework of technology, processes and people that automates, improves and connects data to decisions across the enterprise to enhance business results.

When I’m out shopping, there’s only one business decision that I need to make: What’s on sale?

Ginny Wennen
Associate Editor
Teradata Magazine

Credited with sparking the social media revolution, Facebook isn’t getting enough credit for making the generation gap even more uncomfortable. I’m speaking, of course, about the dreaded “friend” request from your mom or dad.

The definition of a conundrum, I recently had to decide to accept or ignore my own mother. Accept and live with her watching over my FB shoulder; ignore and risk some hurt feelings. “Online experts” advise that ignoring parents’ friend requests is the best policy to maintain everyone’s sanity. Evidence in support of this can be found at “Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook.”

Socially awkward moments aside, sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are providing game-changing opportunities for organizations willing to tap into this rich source of customer data. TeradataMagazine.com examined this trend in “A New Frontier,” by Joe McKendrick. For more insight on the phenomenon of social CRM just check back on TeradataMagazine.com when the August issue goes live.

Meanwhile, in case you’re wondering, I did accept my mom … right after I revised my profile and cleared out some photo galleries.

Mike Westholder
Managing Editor
Teradata Magazine

Summer vacation travel is in full swing, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere. It’s a time when many tourists visit famous sites like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China. My vacation is taking me to Nashville, Tenn., home of country music but also a little-known tourist attraction—the Parthenon. Originally built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition, the exact replica of the crumbling original in Greece houses a 42-foot statue of Athena. A mighty impressive sight to see

Equally impressive is the article “Modern Architecture,” by Dr. Barry Devlin in which he expounds on the new architected approach to today’s data warehouse. What’s needed, he says, is a new set of foundational principles that support modern business decision making.

My decision to head to Nashville was not based on a visit to the Parthenon or even to listen to live country music, but rather to attend a family function. I’m just hoping there will be time for me to gaze in amazement at the sheer size of the attraction and its mythical occupant.

Ginny Wennen
Associate Editor
Teradata Magazine

When my dashboard’s “Check engine” light—aka the Harbinger of Doom—came on recently, my blood ran cold. Angst-ridden, I took the car to my mechanic and waited for the diagnosis. Fortunately, it was just the spark plugs and wires that needed replacing, and nothing more serious—aka expensive.

While no one wants to see one of those dashboard lights, the diagnostic sensors behind them are impressive tools, which not only identify problems but store extremely useful data. When loaded into a data warehouse, they can help auto technicians identify recurring problems with a particular model and find the most efficient fixes.

For Volvo Car Corporation, diagnostic data collected from vehicles on the street is invaluable. The company started with the data created by onboard sensors and control processors, which is downloaded by Volvo technicians during service and repair work. Moving beyond trouble codes, however, the Swedish automaker now collects nearly 400 discrete measurements and loads them into the data warehouse.

Analyzing this data is paying off in countless ways, including improving the fuel-efficiency of several models as told in “Data in the Driver’s Seat” at TeradataMagazine.com.

Now that I’ve read this article, next time my dashboard lights up unexpectedly, I’ll take some comfort in knowing today’s headache might help build a better car tomorrow.

Mike Westholder
Managing Editor
Teradata Magazine