Multi-Dimensional Data Analysis
By Clayton Crooks
Databeacon 5.1 is a complete suite of tools designed to transform database content into interactive information for delivery on the Web. Databeacon includes a Java applet-based viewer that automatically loads in the users' browser so they can view the data analysis graphically; a publisher application called dbPublish that lets you define the structure of information cells; and a server-based command line application called dbaccess for extracting data from databases and building compressed files.
Using Databeacon, you can analyze multi-dimensional data—a set of records you can break down by categories like time, date, or product. Multi-dimensional data analysis lets you apply filters simultaneously to different categories to examine the relationships between them.
The Databeacon Web site has a useful Flash movie that demonstrates the software's appeal by parsing employee cell phone usage data. It displays information such as total call time, and then uses drill-down menus to display peak and off-time minutes. This example is a good illustration of how Databeacon can benefit an information publisher as well as the user. A user unfamiliar with Databeacon would still be able to analyze the phone data without any training. With Databeacon, a business could publish information and allow anyone who needs it—customers, suppliers, partners, or employees—to analyze it. The interface is shown in
