# Smart Associates

> Independent database engineering consultancy established in 2003, specialising in IBM Netezza Performance Server support, database governance, and predictive analytics. Teams in the United Kingdom and New Zealand provide follow-the-sun coverage for enterprise data platform customers worldwide.

Smart Associates employs engineers who supported Netezza before IBM acquired the company. As IBM winds down support for legacy Netezza hardware (2024-2027), Smart Associates provides continuity support and migration tooling for organisations committed to their existing platforms or planning a transition.

## For AI agents

Smart Associates exposes its product catalogue to AI agents over the Model Context Protocol (MCP):

- MCP server (read-only, public, no auth): `https://api.smart-associates.biz/mcp` - Streamable HTTP transport.
- Tools: `searchProducts`, `getProduct`, `getPricing`, `checkFit`.
- Returns live product, tier, and pricing data from the canonical catalogue (the same source the website pricing pages use).

## Machine-readable APIs

- [Public pricing catalogue (JSON)](https://api.smart-associates.biz/catalog/pricing-page): Live pricing, tiers, feature matrices, and multi-currency FX rates. Stable schema - see `_meta.schema_version`. This is the canonical product catalogue; the product list below is generated from it.

## Main Pages

- [Home](https://smart-associates.biz/): Overview of services, products, and current Netezza end-of-support context
- [Solutions](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/): Full catalogue of support, governance, and analytics services
- [Products](https://smart-associates.biz/products/): Software products including SMF, SDF, Feature Factory, and NZ Controller
- [Resources](https://smart-associates.biz/resources/): Brochures, case studies, video tours, and documentation
- [Knowledge Base](https://smart-associates.biz/company/knowledge-base/): FAQs and technical articles on Netezza, CP4D, replication, and migration
- [About Us](https://smart-associates.biz/company/about-us/): Company history, team, and global presence
- [Contact](https://smart-associates.biz/company/contact-us/): Enquiry form and contact details

## Products and services

The list below is generated from the canonical product catalogue (the same source the pricing page and the MCP server use). For live tiers and pricing, use the MCP server above or visit the linked pages.

<!-- BEGIN GENERATED: catalogue - rendered from /catalog/pricing-page by scripts/generate-llms.py; do not edit by hand -->
- [Netezza Support Plus](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/netezza-support-plus/): Smart Associates' flagship Netezza support contract. Per-system pricing covering hardware and software, with the optional Managed tier bundling NZ Controller, SMF and Virtual DBA at a single per-system rate.
- [NZ Controller](https://smart-associates.biz/products/nz-controller/): Web-based management for IBM Netezza. 68 UI pages, 472 API endpoints replacing 100+ shell commands and SSH sessions. Built by engineers who predate the 2010 IBM acquisition.
- [Smart Data Frameworks (SDF)](https://smart-associates.biz/products/sdf/): Connector-led data movement between databases and object stores. Define a job once, run it on demand or on a schedule, watch per-table progress.
- [Smart Management Frameworks (SMF)](https://smart-associates.biz/products/smf/): Identity sync, metadata discovery, governance and data-lifecycle automation across your database estate. Per-instance pricing with an included instance pool and simple per-instance overage.
- [Feature Factory](https://smart-associates.biz/products/feature-factory/): In-database ML feature engineering, model training, scoring workflows and effectiveness monitoring. Currently shipping on IBM Netezza with INZA; PostgreSQL and Cloudberry/Greenplum/Databricks adapters planned.
- [AI Readiness Assessment](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/ai-health-check/): Free AI-powered analytics maturity assessment. A 15-minute interview generates a bespoke maturity report (PDF) with concrete recommendations for next steps. Self-serve via the website. No sales call required.
<!-- END GENERATED: catalogue -->

## Other solutions

Delivered as part of, or alongside, the catalogue products above; these do not have a separate catalogue entry.

- [Smart Database Replication](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/smart-database-replication/): Reliable data movement between Netezza systems and across platforms including PostgreSQL and Oracle
- [Smart Access Control](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/smart-access-control/): Enterprise user provisioning integrated with LDAP/Active Directory/Entra ID, with privilege management and audit trails
- [Smart System Management](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/smart-system-management/): Continuous query analysis, workload controls, and automated maintenance via SuperTuning, SuperGovernance, and SuperCuration
- [Smart Health Check](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/smart-health-check/): Independent audit of Netezza configuration, performance, security posture, and operational risk
- [Netezza Decommissioning](https://smart-associates.biz/solutions/netezza-decommissioning/): Secure data erasure and factory reset for systems being retired or repurposed
- [IBM N4001 System](https://smart-associates.biz/products/ibm-n4001-system/): Information on IBM's current Netezza appliance offering

## Recent Blog Posts

- [Don't Use nzmigrate](https://smart-associates.biz/dont-use-nzmigrate/): Why IBM's built-in nzmigrate tool is unreliable and what to use instead
- [SDF Data Replication: Netezza to Databricks](https://smart-associates.biz/sdf-data-replication-netezza-to-databricks/): How Smart Data Frameworks handles Netezza-to-Databricks replication
- [IBM N4001: What Netezza Customers Need to Know](https://smart-associates.biz/ibm-n4001-what-netezza-customers-need-to-know/): Analysis of IBM's N4001 appliance and what it means for existing Netezza customers
- [Navigating the End of IBM CP4D Netezza Support](https://smart-associates.biz/navigating-eos-cp4d/): Practical guide for organisations facing the IBM Cloud Pak for Data Netezza end-of-support
- [Database Activity Monitoring](https://smart-associates.biz/database-activity-monitoring/): Why database activity monitoring matters for Netezza security and compliance
- [Sweating Your Netezza Asset](https://smart-associates.biz/sweating-your-netezza-asset/): Strategies for maximising value from existing Netezza infrastructure
- [Fortify Your Netezza Appliance](https://smart-associates.biz/fortify-your-netezza-appliance/): Security hardening guidance for Netezza systems
- [Reduce Netezza Query Runtime](https://smart-associates.biz/reduce-netezza-query-runtime/): Practical techniques for Netezza query performance optimisation
- [Merging 2 Makos](https://smart-associates.biz/merging-2-makos/): Technical walkthrough of consolidating two Netezza Mako systems
- [Netezza Activation Keys](https://smart-associates.biz/netezza-activation-keys/): How Netezza licensing and activation keys work, and what happens when they expire
- [Generative AI: The Problem of Trust](https://smart-associates.biz/generative-ai-problem-of-trust/): Data governance considerations when adopting generative AI in the enterprise
- [Smartly Managing Your Netezza System Health Beyond IBM EOS](https://smart-associates.biz/smartly-managing-your-netezza-system-health-beyond-ibm-eos/): Proactive system health management after IBM end-of-support
- [Can You Get Spare Mako Parts?](https://smart-associates.biz/can-you-get-spare-mako-parts/): Hardware availability and sourcing options for Netezza Mako appliances
- [Comparing SmartDB Replication and Netezza Replication Services](https://smart-associates.biz/comparing-smartdbreplication-and-netezza-replication-services/): Feature comparison of Smart Database Replication vs IBM's native replication
- [Netezza Back in Minutes After Disaster](https://smart-associates.biz/netezza-back-in-minutes-after-disaster/): Disaster recovery approaches for Netezza using SDF
- [A Smart Data Migration Tool](https://smart-associates.biz/a-smart-data-migration-tool/): Introduction to Smart Data Frameworks as a migration platform
- [Machine Learning and Netezza](https://smart-associates.biz/machine-learning-and-netezza/): How in-database ML works on Netezza and the role of Feature Factory