1. Can I integrate a data quality solution within other software applications?
Data quality solutions can be fully integrated into CRM, ETL (Extract Transform Load), ERP, or BI solutions and have the advantage of being “seamless” to the end user - reducing the learning curve, as well as decreasing the implementation time frames. Your data process flow should not have to be modified to add a new data quality solution. Through integration and strategic partnerships you are assured that you are getting a best-of-breed solution. However, keep in mind it is not absolutely necessary for the solution to be fully integrated. First logic also provides tools that your organization can easily integrate on your own, and oftentimes stand-alone solutions may be more effective for specific projects.
2. Will First logic’s Global Data Quality Connector for SAP manage my international data?
Yes. Built on a global framework capable of validating address information for over 190 countries in a single processing pass, First logic’s Global Data Quality Connector for SAP allows you to identify country names, format and standardize addresses, correct missing address information, and assign postal codes for each respective country. Furthermore, First logic’s Easy IQ technology offers the ability to complete/populate addresses with minimal data or offer suggestions for possible matches. This easy address system is ideal in call centers or any transactional environment where data needs to be cleansed at the point-of-entry. The software improves real-time transactions for your call centers, sales, and support centers by providing accurate address data for your customer facing employees. How easy is it to maintain First logic’s Global Data Quality Connector for SAP after implementation? Ongoing maintenance should be minimal. Once the solution is implemented and configured, typically maintenance will only be required when you receive postal directory updates, upgrade to a new data quality release, or decide to change your application or business rules.
3. What are the benefits of a data quality solution?
The biggest benefit is the confidence you have that your data is accurate. A data quality solution also allows you to: Manage customer data in different formats initially residing in separate databases Build and maintain successful relationships Better understand and service your customers Enhance knowledge management and business intelligence initiatives with reliable and accurate information Deliver clean, reliable data throughout your expanding information supply chains to all varieties of operational and analytical applications throughout your enterprise
4. How does Firstlogic’s Global Data Quality Connector for SAP Systems work?
Firstlogic’s Global Data Quality Connector is integrated at the BASIS layer and communicates with the SAP Applications via TCP/IP leveraging SAP’s Remote Function Call (RFC) interface. As users make postal validation inquiries in either batch or real-time, calls are made outside of the SAP Application to Firstlogic’s RFC Server. Once the customer’s address has been received by Firstlogic’s technology, our Information Quality Suite parses, standardizes, and corrects records according to configurable business rules and local postal authority standards. To ensure your customer view is optimized, Firstlogic’s technology catches duplicates at the point of entry; not after redundant information has infected your SAP Environment. Before any customer, vendor, or business partner is committed to the database, Firstlogic’s Information Quality suite will immediately inspect the data upon input. The connector scans the entire database for duplicates and assigns a similarity match score to potential duplicates. At that point, the user can determine whether the entered record is unique or a duplicate that should be eliminated from the system. In addition, convenient Error Tolerant Searching is available for prompt and precise address recognition. This improves transaction processing, saves time locating records, and optimizes system efficiency.
5. Explain the architecture of Firstlogic’s Global Data Quality Connector for SAP Systems.
Integrated at the BASIS/WAS layer, Firstlogic has developed Business Add-Ins (BAdI’s) that can be leveraged with a single instantiation; allowing for all SAP modules that utilize SAP’s Business Address Services framework to leverage the compelling advantages of Firstlogic technology. Furthermore, Firstlogic’s Information Quality Suite has been developed as a Remote Function Call (RFC) Server: the most common integration component of SAP software. Utilizing SAP’s RFC interface, SAP makes calls to Firstlogic technology for address check, updates, duplicate checks, and error tolerant searches.
6. Why does SAP support Linux?
SAP’s goal is to be able to provide its customers the maximum of flexibility to create the best IT environment for their needs and be able to get the most value out of their business applications driving growth and profit. Openness, flexibility, and integrity of our products have always been part of our product strategy, putting customers in the position to decide what’s best for their IT environment. So the main reason is to offer you a free choice. Many SAP customers want to use Intel hardware and at the same time use their Unix know-how. Linux is growing with incredible speed and absolutely meets the quality standards of SAP. And thanks to the platform-independent SAP architecture, the port of the SAP kernel was fairly easy: none of the SAP business applications had to be modified. Another reason is the number of Unix operating systems SAP has to support. Especially when you try to get maximum performance out of your hardware resources, there are significant differences between the different Unix flavors. SAP has to maintain, test and support each possible combination of OS, database, hardware and mySAP release. With Intel moving to 64 bit there is a high probability of even more Unix flavors. A consolidation of these Unix derivatives would benefit both vendors and customers. From our point of view Linux has a realistic chance to become the unified Unix running on different hardware platforms. If Open Source continues like this, it is very important for a software company to adapt early to the new situation. We are very proud that SAP was the first software in the world that run mission-critical ERP operations on Linux. We expect Linux to be successful in low and high end installations and SAP, as Trusted Adviser, is helping customers to make the right decisions around SAP on Linux.
7. What is the SAP LinuxLab?
The SAP LinuxLab assists in the releasing of SAP software on Linux and drives the porting of SAP software to new platforms, like the Intel Itanium or IBM Power PC. Furthermore it helps other SAP departments with developing on and for the Linux platform and processes Linux-specific support problems - internal ones, as of external - or forwards them to the appropriate hardware or software partner. Currently, developers from Bull, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP, IBM, Intel, Novell/SUSE, RealTech, Red Hat, SAP, SUN and a number of temporary “guests” share the same rooms in the LinuxLab. Despite our hardware partners being competitors, the cooperation is excellent and we had a number of very successful projects. The LinuxLab also closely cooperates with (and is located directly next to) SAP’s Server Infrastructure department, which is responsible for the development of the SAP kernel, the basis layers on top of the native operating systems, which make SAP’s business applications platform independent.
8. What role does SAP play in the Open Source scene?
We are supporting Open Source when it comes to Linux as an operating system or MaxDB (formerly Adabas/D or SAP DB) as a database. In fact, back in 1999, we were the first business software provider to support Linux as an operating system for running SAP solutions. We work closely with the Linux distributors and our partners to ensure our solutions work smoothly on Linux. Our main focus with SAP on Linux is helping our customers build the IT environment that is right for them. More and more customers are requesting help with SAP on Linux. And we are there to provide them with the high quality support they expect from SAP.
9. Interested in offering your software to SAP customers so they can enhance functionality of their SAP servers running Linux?
SAP is open to third party software and hardware products. As SAP only uses standard APIs provided by the Linux OS, third party software is usually transparent to us. Whereas we usually do not certify third party software, LinuxLab is open for joint development efforts.
10. What does “SAP NetWeaver on Linux” mean?
SAP is the market leader of inter-enterprise software solutions with the world’s largest enterprise software customer base. SAP has more than 10 million licensed users, more than 20,000 installations in more than 100 countries and supports 28 different languages. More than half of the world’s top 500 companies use SAP software! SAP supports the mySAP Business Suite in a productive environment under Linux. This also includes the database server (IBM DB2/UDB, Informix, Oracle and SAP DB) as well as the application server and the frontend. You can run SAP on Linux in homogeneous and heterogeneous environments. The mySAP Business Suite is running upon the SAP NetWeaver, which includes components like the SAP Web Application Server or the SAP Enterprise Portal. For a more detailed view on SAP NetWeaver please refer to http://www.sap.com/netweaver.
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