Talend taps MDM with open-source wand

Exposed code takes on Oracle, IBM, SAP

Data integration specialist Talend is rolling out an open source master data management (MDM) product based on technology it purchased from the French MDM vendor, Amalto.

Like other Talend software, the new MDM package will be offered free under the GNU General Public License along with a commercial subscription version with added features and support. The company plans to make the software available in early 2010, and it reckons it will be the very first non-proprietary MDM offering.

"By introducing the first open source MDM solution, Talend is poised to change the market landscape, competing head to head with established players such as IBM and Oracle, for the greater benefit of all customers and users," said Talend CEO and co-founder Bertrand Diard in a statement.

The company expects its software to appeal to firms that can't afford current MDM offerings - and to those dabbling with more and more open source deployments.

Talend said that it has completed a full audit of the source code to ensure IP compliance and that it is currently integrating the software with its existing data integration and data quality technologies.

While Talend is a relatively small player, it's always good to see more market niches cracked open by an open source model. The move could also prove to be pricing negotiation leverage for existing MDM customers. ®