Although the title may spark notions of an Internet-specific topic, the author's term "e-data" isn't a Net-related notion at all. By e-data, she means any data that has been refined and stored in a data warehouse, whether Internet-related or not. She explains the basic concepts behind data warehousing and decision support systems in refreshingly plain English and provides real-world case study summaries of well-known corporations such as Hallmark and Bank of America, as well as the applications of data warehousing by industry segment.
Some of the technologies that make data warehousing possible are discussed, but the book is primarily targeted at managers and executives who are responsible for implementing successful marketing and data management strategies. The discussion is lifted above the technical details of how data warehousing takes place to examine why your organization should consider the approach.
There is plenty of focus on the daunting task of implementing a data warehouse, and the author provides many tips for selecting the proper consultants, technologies, and staff to do the job. This text is a great real-world introduction to the sphere of data warehousing. --Stephen W. Plain
Topics covered: Data warehouses, decision support systems, data mining, target marketing, cross-selling, sales analysis, industry applications, database tools, vendor selection, project planning, and pitfalls.