DATA WAREHOUSING FUNDAMENTALS: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals

3.5. WEB-ENABLED DATA WAREHOUSE

We all know that the single most remarkable phenomenon that has impacted computing and communication during the last few years is the Internet. At every major industry conference and in every trade journal, most of the discussions relate to the Internet and the Worldwide Web in one way or another.

Starting with a meager number of just four host computer systems in 1969, the Internet has swelled to gigantic proportions with nearly 95 million hosts by 2000. It is still growing exponentially. The number of Worldwide Web sites has escalated to nearly 26 million by 2000. Nearly 150 million global users get on the Internet. Making full use of the ever-popular Web technology, numerous companies have built Intranets and Extranets to reach their employees, customers, and business partners. The Web has become the universal information delivery system.

We are also aware of how the Internet has fueled the tremendous growth of electronic commerce in recent years. Annual volume of business-to-business e-commerce exceeds $300 billion and total e-commerce will soon pass the $1 trillion mark. No business can compete or survive without a Web presence. The number of companies conducting business over the Internet is expected to grow to 400,000 by 2003.

As a data warehouse professional, what are the implications for you? Clearly, you have to tap into the enormous potential of the Internet and Web technology for enhancing the value of your data warehouse. Also, you ...