Progress Enterprise Data Solutions Division 2009 Achievements

Rob:

In 2009, there were a lot of things happening within Progress Software within the Enterprise Data Solutions Division, which I am a part.  But there are a couple of things that really jump out at me when you ask that question.  Probably the most important is our data services offering, which is forthcoming in 2010, is available via a preview program, which is kind of a beta. The product is looking very good in terms of functionality and performance.  So I’m probably most proud of our data virtualization server product.

When I look back at 2009 and some of the other product lines, I’m very proud with what we did in the Connect world.  The Connect database drivers are ODBC and JDBC and ADO.NET data providers.  We made a big leap ahead in terms of performance with the releases last year.  Specifically, when you’re doing bulk operations.  So, we added the ability within all of those APIs that when you do the standard ODBC batch or JDBC batch, under the covers we switch the protocol that we use at the wire level to do what the database vendors use for their bulk loading utility.

So for example, Oracle has something called SQL Loader.  SQL Server has a bulk copy.  Those tools use a different protocol which allow for much higher speed bulk transfer of data.  And what we did in the Connect line last year was added the ability, again through those standard interfaces, to use those bulk protocols.  What we’re seeing from customers is that increases speed in terms of how much data they’re able to bulk-load into a database.

And then more on a personal basis, but also work-related, of course the Data Access Handbook was published in 2009.  After many years of talking about performance and working on performance and making the products go faster, and share that information with developers out there.  We finally got it out in book form, so that people can get a lot of these tips and tricks to things that we do to make their applications go faster, and we’re really proud of getting that finished.