Characterising Data Mining software

The ever-increasing number of fielded Data Mining applications is evidence that the technology works and produces added value in a variety of business areas. Most of the research-lab generated algorithms have found their way under various guises in a number of commercial software packages. When considering the use of Data Mining, the average business user is now faced with a plethora of DM software to choose from. In order to be informed, such a choice requires a standard basis from which to compare and contrast alternatives along relevant, business-focused dimensions, as well as the location of candidate tools within the space outlined by these dimensions. This paper aims at meeting this business requirement. It presents a standard schema for the characterisation of Data Mining software tools and the results of a recent survey of 33 popular Data Mining tools described within this schema.