Building blocks
Setting up a data mining solution isn't a matter of buying just one product.
Instead, you'll most likely use a handful of specialty applications that work together to give you the big picture. Here are five areas to consider.
Database
This is the heart of your data mining system, where your raw data is stored and extracted. Try products from one of the following vendors:
- Brio (02 9463 6600; www.brio.com)
- Sybase (03 9520 4000; www.sybase.com)
- Oracle (1300 366 386;www.oracle.com)
Knowledge-Discovery Tools
Use these to find patterns in your data and suggest rules you can act on. Select one of the top players:
- SAS Institute (02 9428 0428; www.sas.com)
- SPSS (02 9954 5660; www.spss.com)
Customer Relationship Management
Apply the rules from your knowledge discovery to your customer software. Here are the best bets:
- Agillion (1300 363 938; www.agillion.com.au)
- Clarify (02 9923 0111; www.broadbase.com)
- Epicor (02 9927 6200; www.epicor.com)
- E.piphany (03 9017 8000; www.epiphany.com)
- Onyx (02 9409 4300; www.onyx.com)
- Pivotal (2 9293 2865; www.pivotal.com)
- Remedy (2 9416 0411; www.remedy.com)
- Siebel (03 9221 6143; www.siebel.com)
Content Management
This software typically runs your Web site and will create the personalised content for your individual customers. Here are the top three:
- Art Technology Group (02 8448 2071; www.atg.com)
- BroadVision (02 8826 8000; www.broadvision.com)
- Vignette (02 9455 5000; www.vignette.com)
Wireless Solutions
If you want to communicate with customers over wireless devices, such as mobile phones or handheld PCs, try:
- IBM ( www.ibm.com)
