At Teradata Magazine Online we’re constantly seeking to offer readers new and informative content, above and beyond what they find in the print edition. In recent months, we’ve begun adding online exclusives to the Web site, giving people another reason to return to the site after the initial publication of each issue. Last month’s online articles included a feature about marketing performance management (MPM) and an article about the oil and gas industry.

In “Tools of the trade,” Mark Jeffery expounds upon the findings of a study on MPM, conducted by Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The director of technology initiatives and senior lecturer at the school’s Center for Research and Innovation, Jeffery explains that many organizations lack a formal, systematic process to manage marketing campaigns and aren’t fully taking advantage of supporting technologies. But for those who have, combining MPM best practices and technology have realized a direct, positive impact on corporate performance. He goes on to explain these best practices and the benefits seen by leading-edge companies.

“In uniform” explores how the oil and gas industry established a standard data infrastructure to optimize the construction, operation and maintenance of vast pipeline systems. The article, written by Dr. Vadim Izhevskiy, Teradata solutions sales director for oil and gas, examines industry challenges that “necessitated an integrated spatial data infrastructure capable of more effectively acquiring, processing, storing and leveraging the spatial data from oil and gas production and transportation facilities. Such integrated data sets or databases enable optimum management of the pipeline companies’ assets, as well as the development and integrity of the pipeline systems.”

We hope these articles will whet your appetites in advance of the next issue of Teradata Magazine, which goes live and arrives in mailboxes later this month.

Mike Westholder
Managing Editor
Teradata Magazine