MarkLogic (ML) announced the latest version of its database search and analysis tool, MarkLogic 5, this week. While many players including ML are fond of tossing around the term big data, ML has in fact been helping companies make sense of big data stores (whatever you choose to call them) for years.

Matt Aslett, senior analyst for enterprise software at the 451 Group, says big data is clearly a significant trend, but the challenge is getting at the valuable data. "We believe the most significant driver of Big Data is the value of the data, not the size. Organizations need to generate value from data whatever its volume, variety, or velocity," he said.

That goes without saying and this release is an attempt to continue ML's tradition in this area. The latest release includes a Hadoop Connector, a must-have in any "big data" analysis tool today.

The idea behind the tool of course is to get at the information that matters most, and by building a database of the unstructured data in the enterprise, ML is helping companies to get a better chance of doing that.

Meanwhile, ML also announced the availability of MarkLogic Express, a new free license for students and developers that enables them to get familiar with MarkLogic. CEO Ken Bado, who joined MarkLogic earlier this year, says the express license was one of his early goals with the company. 

"Now students and developers have the ability to build out their own MarkLogic instances and take them into production," he said. Bado hopes that the free license combined with updates to the developer website will help build a developer network conversant in the use of MarkLogic tools.

For more:
- see the MarkLogic 5 announcement
- see the MarkLogic Express announcement

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