KX Offers Magnitude Simba-developed ODBC Connectivity for kdb+

Partnership allows KX customers to deploy their data to a broader range of applications.

KX, a division of First Derivatives plc, and Magnitude Software announce the release of a driver to enhance KX’s support for accessing large volumes of external enterprise data via the industry-standard ODBC. Using a Magnitude Simba ODBC driver custom-built for the kdb+ time-series database, kdb+ users will now have a high performance interface to seamlessly connect to third-party business intelligence tools such as Tableau, PowerBI and Excel, as well as other data visualization applications.

Kdb+ is both an in-memory and on disk database with a robust built-in query language, q, and a complete real-time streaming architecture. Recognized for its simplicity and performance, kdb+ is increasingly being used in machine learning and other applications which are integrated with other software tools. Facilitating fast and easy connectivity was a key motivation for the collaboration between Magnitude Simba and KX.

For over two decades ODBC, or Open Database Connectivity, has been the standard mechanism for applications to interact with external data. Developed by Microsoft and Simba Technologies in the early ’90s, the designers of ODBC aimed to make it easier for users to talk to multiple different databases and operating systems. Over the years ODBC has become the database connectivity standard.

The objective of the KX and Magnitude Simba partnership is to provide kdb+ customers with a high-performance ODBC interface to external data directly from kdb+ using a fully-featured and certified connector. This ODBC connector can replace or complement existing ODBC connectors from KX that customers have in place. The new kdb+/ODBC driver is simple to deploy and widely supported, which will further serve to encourage the use of kdb+ by a greater universe of developers.

“The partnership with KX marks the first Simba driver connecting to a high-performance in-memory and on-disk software time-series database,” said Tony Fisher, General Manager of Magnitude Connectivity and the Simba business. “During development, Simba’s team collaborated with developers at KX and with KX customers to gather direct feedback regarding what users would like to see in a new ODBC driver.”

Mark Sykes, Group CTO of First Derivatives and COO of KX, commented: “Many of our customers are using ODBC connectors to extract kdb+ data for their standard visualization tools or spreadsheets. We want to offer them an ODBC/kdb+ driver that would increase the robustness, stability, and supportability of this interface. Working with the Simba team allowed us to not only offer a commercially supported solution but also gives users the ability to take advantage of a kdb+ interface, Tableau TDVT (Tableau Datasource Verification Tool) certified.”

About KX
KX is a division of FD, a global technology provider with 20 years of experience working with some of the world’s largest finance, technology, retail, pharma, manufacturing and energy institutions. KX technology, incorporating the kdb+ time-series database, is a leader in high-performance, in-memory computing, streaming analytics and operational intelligence. KX delivers the best possible performance and flexibility for high-volume, data-intensive analytics, and applications across multiple industries. The Group operates from 14 offices across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, including its headquarters in Newry, and employs more than 2,400 people worldwide.

For more information about KX please visit www.kx.com. For general enquiries, write to info@kx.com. For press inquiries, write to pr@firstderivatives.com.

About Magnitude Simba
Simba is the industry choice for standards-based data access and analytics solutions, and for innovation in data connectivity, such as with Magnitude Gateway. Our reputation as the connectivity pioneer means we’re the preferred partner for SDKs – ODBC, JDBC, OLE DB for OLAP (ODBO) and XML for Analysis (XMLA) – and our technology is embedded into today’s most popular BI and analytics applications. A subsidiary of Magnitude Software, the unified data application management leader, Simba provides connectivity solutions that are pivotal to the vast operational efficiencies delivered by the Magnitude portfolio of products.