Netron Launches Solution to Reduce Complexity of Large-Scale Data Migration Projects.

Business/Technology Editors

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2001

ALLTEL selects Netron's approach as a solution to re-engineer its data

models and deliver an efficient migration path to customers

Netron, a leading provider of legacy transformation products and services, today announced the Netron Data Migration Solution(TM) (DMS), a unique approach specifically for complex data migration projects. Netron DMS is the only solution that incorporates a rules-based technology with an iterative methodology to migrate legacy data safely, accurately, and cost-effectively.

Netron also announced that ALLTEL Information Services, the leading provider of banking and mortgage software to financial organizations in the U.S., has chosen Netron DMS as a best-practice approach for its internal and external data migration needs.

Netron DMS is focused on moving data from traditional legacy structures to relational database models and can also be employed to merge multiple relational database repositories. The solution minimizes project risk through a methodology that is based on a highly structured conversion process for moving data from the source database to the target model.

ALLTEL Information Services is producing new real-time/DB2 products to complement its existing market-leading financial software suite. Components of this software suite are used by four of the top ten banks in the U.S. One of the major challenges of the initial project is moving from a VSAM to a DB2 data model. Netron's DMS is playing a key role in this data migration.

In addition to using Netron DMS internally, ALLTEL has also selected the solution as the standard method for helping its customers move their data models to DB2 as they upgrade to new releases of ALLTEL's software products.

Steve Babak, technology manager at ALLTEL Information Services, said the company is committed to Netron's solution because it provides a strategic, best-practices approach.

"Data migrations are a constant, intensive process in our industry so we want the competitive advantage of having an iterative method that we can control," said Babak. "The real issue in the marketplace right now is not the cost of the software but the cost of the migration because it's laden in risk. We want to develop a core competency in data migration to mitigate that risk and reduce the cost, and Netron's method fits our expectations."

Netron's focus on incremental conversion was critical to ALLTEL, as opposed to the "all or nothing" option of other data migration methods. "Netron's approach is much more pragmatic because it has a process that gives you tangible results quickly," explained Babak. "It identifies the critical processes required to have a successful migration, puts them into a frame of reference, and moves the coding cycle up significantly by allowing prototyping to start early using Netron's Data Migration Framework. As a result, you can quickly see return on your investment in coding.

"Mistakes are going to be made in the analysis and data modeling process, but with other methods developers won't find them until the entire program is finished," he continued. "Because Netron's approach is iterative, it becomes apparent fast if you've missed an item and then you can make decisions quickly about the next iteration and see if it works. There are no communication problems because you constantly see results."

Peter Ruttan, president of Netron, said, "The need for efficient data migration to support new strategic business systems has become one of the most challenging efforts facing organizations. Just as iterative development has proven its value during decades of computing, ALLTEL is demonstrating that an iterative, rules-based approach to data migration will save enterprises staff-years of doing things over and over."

Summary of Netron DMS

Netron DMS is a consulting-based data migration solution that combines Netron's proven methodology with unique supporting tools. The process segregates manageable groups of target database tables by related business function. All the actual source statements that control the movement of data from source to target repositories are isolated and located in one strategic location. By focusing on a logical group of tables that will be affected by an existing business transaction, data can be migrated, tested, and checked against anticipated results in an incremental manner.

A series of flowcharts, state transition diagrams, and state transition matrices documents the process for programming purposes. Information from these diagrams is fed into the Netron Data Migration Framework (containing reusable components and program templates) to rapidly produce the extract, transform, and load programs required to migrate the data from the source database to the target model. Any problems associated with the applications are immediately documented into log and audit reports, many of which are unknown at the start of the data migration project, as well as invalid assumptions made at the requirements gathering phase. Each iteration helps make the subsequent iteration more complete than the previous one, until no exceptions are found.

Pricing for Netron DMS starts at $150,000 (US) for five Netron DMS Workstation licenses and introductory training and consulting services.

About ALLTEL

Forty-eight of the top 50 U.S. banks rely on ALLTEL's products and services. ALLTEL provides loan-servicing automation for more than 20 million mortgage loans, with balances exceeding $2 trillion. Additionally, more than 34% of the total dollar volume of outstanding U.S. consumer loans, including mortgages, is processed on ALLTEL Information Services' software applications. ALLTEL, with more than 10 million communications customers and more than $7 billion in annual revenues, is a leader in the communications and information services industries. ALLTEL has communications customers in 24 states and provides information services to telecommunications, financial and mortgage clients in 55 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.alltel.com.

About Netron

Netron is a leading provider of IT transformation solutions, focused on accelerating e-business through legacy systems renewal. An acknowledged leader in software reuse technology, Netron's products and services help organizations adapt quickly to the cost-saving and customer relationship enhancing opportunities of e-business by leveraging legacy assets. Netron has offices in Atlanta, Toronto, Ottawa, and selected distributors. For more information, visit www.netron.com.