The collection and integration of metadata in a metadata repository is one of the first steps in a data integration project.

Metadata Integration allows a company to understand

• The physical location of the data
  (i.e. where is the data stored? which databases in which systems?)
  
  
• The meaning of the data
  (e.g. what is the business definition of "Day Sales Outstanding" and does
  DSO data have the same meaning in all databases?)
  
• The business rules that govern the data
  (e.g. what is the allowed range of values for "invoice amount"?)

Creating a global metadata repository is a fairly difficult task, because the metadata is dispersed among hundreds of systems and databases, across a company's offices around the world.

We can help our clients get a unified view of their global metadata by creating:

• A global catalog of enterprise data, showing where all the data resides
  
  
• A global metadata repository, with physical metadata and semantic metadata
  
• A global data dictionary of business terms.
  
  
• A global reference data repository containing a globally integrated view of
  Customers
  Vendors
  Products
  Employees
  Assets
  Facilities

Creating a global metadata repository is usually a very time consuming task. By using a combination of software and services solutions, we automate significant portions of the integration effort related to global metadata access / movement / aggregation / integration. As a result, we can deliver integrated global metadata to companies that require it, at a cost that is acceptable.

By using our solutions, our clients gain in the following ways

• Significantly reduced costs of metadata integration projects
  
  
• Ability to handle the complexity associated with hundreds of information sources
  
  
• Keep control over a continuously changing metadata landscape.

Click here to find out how Global IDs' technology can dramatically reduce time and effort required for global / enterprise metadata integration projects.