LONDON, England and REDWOOD CITY, Calif, Nov. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Informatica Corporation (Nasdaq:INFA), the world's number one independent provider of data integration software, today announced that Vision Express has standardized on Informatica to win more optical customers and grow market share. This leading U.K.-based optical retail group is using the best-of-breed solution for data integration and business intelligence to unlock the hidden value of the company's fast-growing data. This valuable data is being used to cross-sell and up-sell glasses, contact lenses and other optical accessories, while simultaneously maintaining more intimate and rewarding customer relationships.
Part of Europe's largest optical retail group, GrandVision, Vision Express has grown fast since its creation in 1988 and now has more than 325 stores delivering leading optical care. The retail group chose Informatica, based on a number of factors. Informatica offered a platform-independent, scalable solution that is widely acknowledged among customers, analysts and other communities as a best-in-class platform for data integration and business intelligence. Informatica also offers the company an open, standardized development environment. Specific features of the technology, including the data quality matching, metadata management and impact analysis capabilities also influenced the decision. Informatica was named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools, published July 17, 2013, by Eric Thoo et al.
Timely, deep-rooted integration of specific information captured during the customer marketing, decision and purchase process will enable Vision Express to put the potential of its data to work: providing consistent, high performance access to accurate information for all users across the business.
By uncovering critical customer insights, via a complete customer view, and steering the company away from passive marketing to agile, active marketing, Vision Express anticipates being able to launch new marketing campaigns 50 per cent faster than before. The solution will also significantly reduce the company's IT costs, by lowering the resources devoted to application development and maintenance.
Enterprise-grade Informatica data integration technology all powered by Informatica Vibe, the industry's first and only embeddable virtual data machine (VDM)--in this instance Informatica PowerCenter and Informatica Data Quality--will be used to create an accurate, timely view of up to 13 million Vision Express customers. This includes optical product analysis (including glasses, contact lenses and sunglasses), store demographics, website activity and, in the future, social media. This trusted customer knowledge will be used throughout the organization for powerful and personalized multichannel sales and marketing campaigns.
For example, more customers will receive accurate, timely reminders that their sight test is due with Vision Express. The company will target customers more regularly and accurately, based on knowing which optical brands sell well to which demographic audiences in which geographies. Vision Express will also be able to maintain more efficient optical merchandise--ensuring that where possible the appropriate brand of glasses or contact lenses are in stock in the store.
Supporting Quotes
"By introducing a complete view of customers, Informatica will accelerate the next stage of Vision Express' business growth," says David Hart, IT and Logistics Director, Vision Express. "The Informatica Platform and Vibe will allow Vision Express to realize its full information potential, by aggregating data from multiple sources and creating trustworthy, actionable and authoritative data needed for business critical processes. By understanding more about customers' behavior, optical needs and preferences, Vision Express will be uniquely positioned to create compelling marketing campaigns aimed at growing revenue and market share. The solution will also ensure repeat optical customers return to our stores time and again. Informatica took the time to understand our business challenges and offered us a way of freeing ourselves from the restrictive, legacy technology that had been dictating our business processes."
"Data integration is mission critical for retailers, all of whom face a challenging environment marked by thin margins and intense competition," said Todd Goldman, vice president and general manager of enterprise data integration at Informatica. "It is great to see how Vision Express and other retailers are using Informatica's data integration solution to improve business agility and meet these challenges head on -- delivering trusted, shared customer knowledge that can be used to improve the multichannel retail experience, grow sales and boost loyalty."
Tweet this: Vison Express Brings #Customer Insight Into Sharp Focus with @InformaticaCorp http://bit.ly/16rMQjA #data #Vibe
About the Magic Quadrant
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About Informatica
Informatica Corporation (Nasdaq:INFA) is the world's number one independent provider of data integration software. Organizations around the world rely on Informatica to realize their information potential and drive top business imperatives. Informatica Vibe, the industry's first and only embeddable virtual data machine (VDM), powers the unique "Map Once. Deploy Anywhere." capabilities of the Informatica Platform. Worldwide, over 5,000 enterprises depend on Informatica to fully leverage their information assets from devices to mobile to social to big data residing on-premise, in the Cloud and across social networks. For more information, call +1 650-385-5000 (1-800-653-3871 in the U.S.), or visit www.informatica.com. Connect with Informatica at http://www.facebook.com/InformaticaCorporation, http://www.linkedin.com/company/informatica and http://twitter.com/InformaticaCorp.
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Note: Informatica, Informatica Vibe and Informatica PowerCenter and Informatica Data Quality are trademarks or registered trademarks of Informatica Corporation in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other company and product names may be trade names or trademarks of their respective owners.
Note: Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools 2013
Steve Bauer Informatica Corporation +1 650 385 4159 +1 650 670 7135 Kristen Miller Informatica Corporation +31(30) 6086725 +31 6 537 52239
