Parallel processing has become necessary as data warehouse demand continues to expand to higher volumes, more users, and more applications. Parallelism is everywhere. It has been added underneath, layered on top, and re-engineered into almost all existing database management systems, and in the process, has left some in the user community confused about what it means to be a parallel database. Teradata Database was the first and the original product consciously designed from the base up to be a parallel system for decision support.

When a product is born to be parallel, then most wasted energy and unnatural efforts can be eliminated. The result is a product that is focused, integrated, and enduring.