Warehouse Data Earns Its Keep: Page 2 of 8

MasterCard's IT group runs Business Objects' Analytics software, then builds its own models. One model, for instance, can allow a bank to monitor spending by a particular group of card members it targeted in a direct-mail campaign. The IT group can then recycle that business-intelligence model for other MasterCard bank clients.

These customized tools help banks make predictions based on buying trends. When

a cardholder has made a series of purchases at stores carrying baby items, for example, it's safe to assume the buyer, a friend or family member is expecting a baby or has a newborn. A bank could use that information to set up a marketing arrangement with, say, BabiesRUs, to generate more sales from this type of customer.

Crunching the Numbers

MasterCard runs its data warehouse on 12 Sun E Series Solaris servers, and employs such tools as SAS Analytics for crunching statistical algorithms, Crystal Decisions' Crystal Reports for reporting and Oracle Financials for analyzing financial data. "All of these pieces make up the front-end tools we can build an application with," Alkhalaf says. The Business Objects software handles drill-down reporting and analysis.