Data Migration and Integration

We offer both data migration, and data integration, as part of our Professional Service Portfolio including Technical and Managerial consulting

i-Con is the tool that we recommend to accomplish all your once off migration needs for transferring data. By using i-Con, you will receive a world-class, innovative tool with a high standard of integration.

Data Migration
Flexibility and Scalability

i-Con enables the user to define properties to facilitate the re-distribution of data wherever and whenever it is needed. No hand-coding is required to fulfil this objective. Multiple interfaces may be loaded and tested to cater for different data structures.

Data Profiling

i-Con’s mapping facility allows data profiling to be easily integrated. Added to this i-Con also has the unique ability to test the data mapping results on a local client prior to implementing on a live server. This reduces the business risks as well as the demand on resources.

Risk Mitigation

During the planning and design phase, a certain level of risk analysis and management needs to be performed. Known threats and vulnerabilities are identified and quantified. Countermeasures are implemented and various resources are allocated to protect the availability of data during the migration process. All possible risks and countermeasures are identified, data migration techniques are consistent during the process, costs are justified against countermeasures and data analysts are continuously informed of a migration status.

Our Strategy
Data Migration

Data may be collected from various sources, including multi-dimensional databases, and collated into a single Migration Database (MD).

Data quality – Cleansing and mapping

Depending on the application of i-Con, various tables are allocated and created in the migration database. Each table contains fields that are used to map to the application. The required data is mapped from the source data, extracted, cleansed and transformed.

Once this is complete, the data is then inserted into the migration database tables. All the data is extracted from the migration database and flat files are produced for the application. Each flat file is then uploaded into the application, validated and signed off by the data owner.

Data Integration
As opposed to data migration, data integration is a continuous process that can accept data from a variety of both internal and external sources and then format it into a fixed integration pattern for consumption by the desired applications.

External Data Integration
External data integration is the process whereby we take 3rd party information (Data supplied by your providers or clients, e.g. Retail Solution), and format it into a consumable resource for your applications and processes.

Internal Data Integration?
You may be wondering what is the purpose of internal data integration, why should you not just go for a once off data migration solution? Why would you need to a solution to integrate your own existing data?

Part of the power of i-Con is its ability to leverage off of legacy applications and systems. Your legacy applications were developed with a particular data structure and data processes in mind. Those structures and processes may have been the best available at the time, however the way that we consume, process and store data has changed over the years. This means that if you want to add new products, applications and systems you are going to have to change the way you store or access data… Traditionally this meant you had to choose between new and innovative applications or sticking with your tried, tested and trusted legacy applications.

By allowing us to implement an internal data integration solution you are able to get the best of both worlds. You can keep access to, and the service of, your legacy applications while having the flexibility of adding new and innovative applications to your service offering, or internal systems.

How it works
Data integration follows a similar process to data migration, the main differences being that the process is continuous and that it may run in both directions.

i-Con links to the required data sources. The data is mapped and cleansed, any errors in the data or where source data does not meet the expected input requirements or standards is flagged and a notification is sent detailing the error. The formatted data is then passed to the systems that require it.