Prism Solutions Supports Development of Meta Data Standards for Data Warehouses; Availability of Prism Directory Manager 2.0 on November 30 Marks Industry's First Solution for Integrating and Exchanging Meta Data.

Solutions, the leader in data warehouse management software, today announced its intention to join the Metadata Coalition, an industry association announced last week at The Data Warehousing Conference in Phoenix.

Open to vendors and users, the Metadata Coalition is chartered with the development of standards for synchronizing and accessing meta data in a data warehouse environment. In addition to participating in the standards definition process, Prism will continue its own aggressive efforts to develop and evolve industry-leading products and standards for meta data collection, integration, customization and management.

According to Jim Ashbrook, president of Prism Solutions, "Our products encompass an architectural framework that is distinguished by its emphasis on meta data management as the core of the data warehouse environment. We have worked closely with our customers and business partners to develop an integrated Information Directory that enables more effective data warehouse access, management and administration. We will work with the Metadata Coalition to create a viable standard, which we will then incorporate into Prism Directory Manager to effectively meet our customers' needs."

Prism Directory Manager 2.0, scheduled for general availability on November 30, provides the first customizable environment for integrating and managing the proliferation of meta data in a data warehouse environment. As the only product in the market that builds an integrated Information Directory of business and technical meta data, it currently sets the standard for seamlessly integrating meta data from the key software components used in a data warehouse, including development tools, CASE tools, repositories, query tools and data analysis tools.

Prism Directory Manager 2.0 provides a direct link for sharing meta data with Business Objects' BusinessObjects, HP's Intelligent Warehouse, Information Advantage's DecisionSuite and MicroStrategy's DSS Agent and DSS Architect. By creating a common layer of meta data between Prism Directory Manager and compatible products, this link greatly simplifies the population of meta data, saves time, and makes the meta data more consistent and accurate throughout the warehouse environment.

Prism's commitment to supporting standards is evidenced by its use of the CASE Data Interchange Format (CDIF) for importing and exporting meta data, and ODBC (Open Database Connection) and TCP/IP for client/server communications.

The Metadata Coalition will introduce a phased, multi-level approach to developing a meta data interchange standard, according to META Group, the market research firm that facilitated the formation of the coalition. Specifications are due December 31 and final APIs are expected in 1997. In the meantime, META Group is advising its clients to continue implementing their own solutions for meta data synchronization. During this time, Prism will make every effort to include the Metadata Coalition's specifications into its Prism Directory Manager product.

About Prism Solutions

Prism Solutions is the leader in data warehouse management software for building, maintaining and navigating data warehouses. Prism Solutions' products and services provide the foundation for a variety of IT and business projects, such as building decision-support systems, implementing client/server architectures, migrating and converting data between different computing platforms, and reengineering legacy applications and business processes. Prism Solutions' customers include leading companies in the finance, health care, insurance, manufacturing, public utilities, retail, telecommunications, transportation and technology industries. Prism Solutions' corporate headquarters are located at 1000 Hamlin Court, Sunnyvale, Calif., 94089; tel: [phone]; fax: [phone]. -0-

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