The data warehouse appliance is preconfigured and pre-tuned, so customers can use it right out of the box, according to the company, which is based in Dublin, Calif. It combines a number of software elements, including the Sybase IQ relational database, an enterprise data modeling tool called PowerDesigner, IBM Power Systems servers, and MicroStrategy business intelligence technology, and, as the vendor claims, it can be had for about half of the price of other leading data warehouses.

Sybase Analytic Appliance boasts a column-based analytics engine, which can deliver query results 10 to 100 times faster than traditional row-based relational databases, according to the vendor. Extract, transform and load (ETL) functionality is built directly into the appliance, enabling near-real-time data loading for timely analysis. It can quickly translate source data warehouse schemas; and prebuilt data models designed for specific industries, including finance, healthcare, banking, insurance and telecommunications, are included, according to Sybase.

The appliance's IBM Power Systems component with POWER6 technology lets customers easily add capacity as needed, the company claims. It also offers a high-availability architecture with redundant hot-swap components and Level 5 RAID for resilient data protection. And MicroStrategy's business intelligence software and tools are designed specifically for non-power users with little-to-no business intelligence and analytics training, Sybase says in its submission form.

Management is also simple, the company says, thanks to an integrated administration console that includes DBA and system management tools and simple GUIs to handle user permissions, monitoring activity, and system troubleshooting. Remote management services are also available for customers that require what Sybase calls "zero administration."

Shipped in August 2008, the Sybase Analytic Appliance has pricing that averages $27,000 per terabyte. It is sold and supported by systems integrator mLogica in the United States and Canada, and by Frontline in Asia -- both IBM hardware, Sybase software and MicroStrategy business intelligence software experts, according to Sybase. More information is available from Sybase.