Startup Of The Week: SnapLogic Specializes In Data Integration At 'The Edge'Startup Of The Week: SnapLogic Specializes In Data Integration At 'The Edge'

Data integration is the IT requirement--some say headache--that never goes away. As fast as one new data source gets tied into the business environment, another one comes along. SnapLogic's open source data-integration tools can be used to create enterprise mashups and rich Internet apps, tie into service-oriented architectures, and more. --John Foley SNAPLOGIC

HEADQUARTERS: San Mateo, Calif.

PRODUCT: SnapLogic open source data-integration framework with designer, repository, server, and connectors

PRINCIPALS: Gaurav Dhillon, co-founder and chairman; Chris Marino, CEO; Mike Pittaro, co-founder and chief community officer

INVESTORS: Dhillon Capital

EARLY CUSTOMERS: KQED Public Broadcasting

LIFE ON THE EDGE

SnapLogic's forte is data integration at the "edge" of business computing. What's that? It's files, spreadsheets, documents, and anything on the Web--Web pages, Web services, hosted applications. Using SnapLogic's framework, developers can interconnect these data sources, create mashups from them, or distribute centralized corporate data out to them. COMPONENTS The framework consists of a design tool for mapping data from one source to another, programming interfaces, a metadata repository, a server to run data connections, and connectors to a variety of sources, including Apache, Oracle, QuickBooks, Salesforce.com, and SugarCRM. The framework runs on Windows or Linux, and it comes with components that support common data transformations such as join, sort, filter, and merge. SnapLogic 2.0 was released in May as a VMware virtual appliance. BUSINESS MODEL The startup has adopted a commercial open source model. Its framework is available in a free community version (based on GPLv2) or via annual subscription for those needing professional support. A $9,000 developer subscription includes six server licenses and three days of training for two developers. An enterprise subscription covers 25 server licenses and starts at $25,000 for varying levels of support. SnapLogic is fostering a community of developers at www.snaplogic.org. BACKGROUND Co-founder and investor Dhillon founded data-integration software company Informatica in 1992 and served as its CEO for 12 years. Marino was founder and CEO of load-balancing specialist Resonate. TIMELINE