Web 2.0 Companies Cite Not Only Quality of Data, but Also Finding Relevant Data as Key Issues They Face When Integrating Live Data

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--StrikeIron Inc., the leading provider of Data as a Service, facilitating the consumption and distribution of live data and business functionality over the Web, today announced the results of a survey conducted during the Web 2.0 Expo recently held in San Francisco. StrikeIron designed the survey in order to identify the leading challenges faced when integrating live data into new applications and enterprise mashups.

Web 2.0 drew over 10,000 technical, design, marketing and business professionals who are building the next generation Web. One of the topics at the 2007 Expo was composite applications, sometimes known as mashups. Mashups are a new genre of interactive Web applications that use content retrieved from external data sources to create entirely new and innovative services. They are a key feature of the second generation of Web applications informally known as Web 2.0.

Respondents were asked to rate on a scale of one to five the degree of challenge faced when integrating live data into their applications and enterprise mashups. The obstacles listed included:

• Quality of available data
• Finding relevant data
• Ease of integration
• Securing consistent access to multiple data sources
• Availability of tools for mashups/integration

Over 65 percent of respondents listed “quality of available data” and “relevancy of available data” as the most challenging aspects of data integration. Over half of the responders found “ease of integration” and “consistent access to a wide variety of data sources” as challenges to their mashup needs.

“If you are building mashups, the need for not only the right data is important, but having the highest quality data available is necessary to delivery on the promise of Web2.0,” said Bob Brauer, CEO and President of StrikeIron. “StrikeIron’s focus is on delivering the highest quality data through our Web Services Marketplace. We’ve partnered with powerhouses in the industry such as D&B, Zacks, and IDExec to distribute the best possible data to all of our customers.”

The StrikeIron Web Services Marketplace offers 100 data services for eCommerce, Finance, CRM and Data Quality. Thousands of users and a broad range of institutions and enterprises, including over a dozen Fortune 1000 companies such as BEA, IBM, Honda Europe, D&B, Time Warner, Siemens, Nike, Kenwood and Exclusive Resorts have adopted the data services and business functionality provided by StrikeIron.

About StrikeIron

StrikeIron is the leader in Data as a Service, facilitating the consumption and distribution of live data and business functionality over the Web. The company’s breakthrough Web Services Marketplace provides a technology platform, micro-transaction management and a consistent interface across many XML-based Web services from multiple, diverse sources. This allows end-users and ISVs to customize and integrate external data sources and additional external functionality into enterprise, Web, and composite applications. Currently, StrikeIron provides over 100 live data sources and business functions as well as a set of products and tools to simplify and accelerate the consumption of data such as StrikeIron’s SOA Express, enabling business users to access live data via front office applications. StrikeIron services over 700 customers and partners such as BEA, Delivery.com, IBM, Honda Europe, D&B, Time Warner, Siemens, Nike, Kenwood, and Exclusive Resorts. For more information, visit www.strikeiron.com.