Press Releases

PLEASANTON, Calif.- January 19, 2010 - Because organizations today rely on information in almost every aspect of business, information management is a necessity. Yet the complexity of managing data across legacy and modern applications and information systems can make this very difficult. Today Ventana Research announces the availability of a new Best Practices Portal to ease the challenge of managing information assets effectively.

Managing the creation, use and management of information is critical to reducing risk and achieving business success. Ventana Research has drawn on years of research benchmarking thousands of organizations to create this latest in its series of online best practices education portals. This portal provides experience and research-based insights into how companies can address a key component of information management, data governance: the practice of setting policies and rules that guide the creation, use, and management of information using technology to automate the consistency, quality and integration of data.

Deploying data governance both requires and enables business users and IT management to work together to oversee how data assets are used in their organizations. Doing so can make it possible for businesses to gain what our benchmark research found is a better return on existing investments, improve the quality of data available for decision-making and heighten operational efficiency.

Yet Ventana Research finds that a majority of organizations have not implemented effective data governance - in many cases, because of a lack of understanding of the concept and lack of executive and budget support. Concerns about the total cost of ownership of technology to support data governance and the return on investment they will deliver also pose roadblocks. Better understanding of the nature and benefits of data governance clearly is needed.

"Organizations today are faced with an exponential amount of data - on customers, patients, citizens, employees, products, assets, locations and any other entity," said Tony Fisher, president and CEO of DataFlux. "To make sense of this information - and allow the organization to function at the highest level possible - companies need a data governance mindset where data quality is achieved, maintained, valued and used to drive the business. This cultural shift involves technology, best practices and the business support to be successful. The Best Practices Education Portal on Data Governance is a thorough and useful resource for any organization that wants to improve their business success through data governance."

Data governance is central to getting timely, actionable and accurate information to key executives and other decision-makers. Defining the right process is critical, yet companies also must have the right information technologies. Unfortunately, we find that too many people in organizations are not aware of the strategic importance of data governance. The portal seeks to bridge this gap, providing valuable knowledge derived from our research and experience.

"Most companies fail to understand how much competitive advantage they're giving away by failing to address data governance," commented Mark Smith, EVP of Research at Ventana Research and the company's CEO. "By focusing on ensuring that the underpinning of information, data, is managed well, organizations have been able to achieve significant improvements in both efficiency and effectiveness. Still, there are too many companies that waste time and resources on information management processes that are not all that difficult to improve." The Portal for Best Practices provides the benefit of years of experience and benchmarking research to help business managers to operate more efficiently and increase the value they bring to their organization.

Ventana Research is making the Best Practices Research and Education Portal available to members of its community to help bring deeper industry and technology insight to them. Access to the Portal is available online at  http://www.ventanaresearch.com/bpp/dgbpp.The Best Practices Research and Education Portal is sponsored by DataFlux (www.dataflux.com). Its content is the product of benchmark research, decades of experience on organizations across all major industries. The Data Governance Best Practices Research and Education Portal is the latest in an ongoing series of online education portals drawing on the extensive IT and business research conducted by Ventana Research. Those interested in learning more about the value of the benchmark research that provides the foundation for this best practices portal can contactclientservices@ventanaresearch.com.

About Ventana Research

Ventana Research is the leading benchmark research and advisory services firm. We provide expert guidance to help organizations manage and optimize performance - to become not only more efficient but more effective. Our unparalleled insights and best practices guidance are based on our rigorous research-based benchmarking of people, processes, information and technology across business and IT functions worldwide. The combination we offer of benchmark research, rigorous market coverage and in-depth knowledge of hundreds of technology providers means we can deliver business and technology education and expertise to our clients where and when needed. Ventana Research provides the most comprehensive analyst coverage in the industry; more than 2.5 million business and IT professionals through our community of 85,000 professionals and network of media and association partners around the world benefit from Ventana Research's insights. Ventana Research focuses on business and technology trends and best practices that maximize organizations' potential to perform while reducing the time, cost and risk and still achieve optimal outcomes. To learn how Ventana Research advances the maturity of organizations use of information and technology through benchmark research, education and advisory services, visitwww.ventanaresearch.com.

Media Contact: Marisela Reynoso  

(925) 242-2579 marketing@ventanaresearch.com