Database management software has evolved into the core of enterprise computing. As companies move into an Internet age of broad-band communications, databases must be able to store and serve huge multimedia files, manage ever increasing volumes of data, handle the tremendous growth in the number of users, deliver steadily improved performance, and support the next generation of applications. With its virtually unlimited ability to scale, its multimedia extensibility, its industry-leading performance and reliability, and its platform openness, DB2 Universal Database has helped lead this evolution.
DB2 Universal Database is the first multimedia, Web-ready relational database management system, strong enough to meet the demands of large corporations and flexible enough to serve medium-sized and small businesses. With DB2 Universal Database Version 7, IBM continues its role as the database innovator in:
DB2 Universal Database powers the most demanding e-business applications, such as electronic commerce, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, supply-chain management, Web self-service, and business intelligence. It's about a scalable, industrial-strength database that can be the data management foundation for your evolution into e-business.
DB2 Universal Database means using data assets to make better business decisions. It's about data access, data analysis, and decisions that help control costs, uncover new opportunities, boost market share, and increase customer loyalty.
DB2 Universal Database data management is more than simply running queries and applications. It's about where to store data, how to access it quickly, how to protect it against loss, and how to administer databases for optimum performance on your hardware and for your mix of applications.
DB2 Universal Database continues to meet the demands of today's heterogeneous computing environments. It's about open solutions that can access and integrate data from multiple, geographically separated sources on different platforms.
Universal Database is an ambitious name. It suggests a product that is designed to be used for a variety of purposes and in a variety of environments, and that is a good description of DB2 Universal Database. Each new release of DB2 Universal Database builds on the strong foundation of the previous version. This book describes the new DB2 functions and enhancements available with DB2 Universal Database Version 7.