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Teradata

Data mining's adult challenges

Probably no data-mining legend has been more pervasive than the "beer and diapers" story, which apparently dates back to an early 1990s project that data-warehousing pioneer Teradata (then part of NCR) conducted for the Osco Drug retail chain.

As the story goes, they discovered that beer and diapers frequently appeared together in a shopping basket on certain days; the presumed explanation was that fathers picking up diapers bought a six-pack when they were out anyway. This correlation was then used to optimize displays and pricing in the stores.

That's the story anyway. The reality, as best anyone can determine, … Read more

Teradata jumps on SAP acquisition speculation

Updated at 2:40 p.m. PDT, with SAP and SAS declining to comment.

Shares of data warehouse management company Teradata jumped nearly 7 percent in trading Tuesday, following an analyst report that the company would make a good fit with enterprise software applications behemoth SAP.

And while JMP Securities analyst Pat Walravens, notes that SAP has "hinted in recent weeks" it may be considering another acquisition and he believes Teradata would make a good fit, SAP sources say no such transaction is in the immediate works.

Teradata, which has a market capitalization of $3.94 billion, would … Read more