Informatica targeting greater public sector awareness

The head of public sector at the data integration corporation has told MyCustomer.com greater levels of brand awareness in the public sector is a key focus and obstacle to overcome for Informatica in the year ahead.

The head of public sector at the data integration corporation Informatica, has outlined the need to develop greater levels of brand awareness in government key focus for his division in the coming year.

Speaking to MyCustomer.com at Informatica World 2010, Shekhar lyer said while developing awareness of Informatica's services for the public sector remained "the biggest challenge", it also provided the company with its biggest opportunity, especially in the current climate of 'more for less' and operational efficiency. "We have tremendous levels of customer loyalty and satisfaction, and a great portfolio," lyer said. "It's just we're a best kept secret."

He also outlined some of the differences in dealing with the private and public sectors, not least the latter's procurement structures and lifecycles. "The 50% that's different [between private and public sector organisations] is the different kind of decision body: the whole procurement cycle; the way information is requested; the amount of time that's needed; how organisations need to be open and inclusive of everybody; and the channel of system integrators and partners, all have parts to play."

"At some level there's no difference, but at another level the whole procurement and engagement processes with the government agencies are different."

lyer explained the use of system integrators (SI) by government bodies, and their solution of "throwing a lot of personnel at it" provided a key opportunity for Informatica to show how hand-coded ways could be automated. "That's where we can raise our profile," he said. lyer claimed the huge demand from citizens for governments to not spend so much without affecting service quality opened the gap for an increased use of automated processes, "And that's where Informatica comes in," he explained.

"The key to success in this area is how to manage the partner ecosystem. They're a double-edged sword. If they don't know what can be done they'll use the traditional method of using people. One thing we have done in the recent past is look at how to embed our technology to partner services offerings? How do they build new solution accelerators that government agencies are asking for? They need highly accountable, fast deliverables."

He added that requirement for fast deliverables meant SI partners were being more receptive, and explained Informatica had also been doing "a better job in articulating with them how our technology assets could fit in with their solutions."

Although much of lyer's focus was on US agencies across local, state, and federal levels, he discussed the company's expansion into the public sector across the world. "We have had some very good success within government agencies across the world, but we are definitely trying to elevate the profile of the company." He cited Informatica's Identity Resolution product as one of the international successes, which he described as a "very unique technology".

Such functionality lyer stated was vital across a number of government areas, including health fraud, tax, and security. "These are things that are relevant across the world," he said, "not just in the US."