Discover data anywhere with Explorer

Actian Explorer is a data discovery application designed for all data consumers, from data experts to business users, who need to find and access the right information among their enterprise’s data assets. Inspired by marketplace experiences and powered by smart search capabilities, Explorer enables users of all technical skill levels to quickly discover relevant data and data products for their business use cases. Actian Explorer provides an intuitive, Google-like search experience with personalized recommendations, topic-based browsing, and collaborative features that democratize data access across the organization.

Data scattered across disparate systems, databases, and applications forces employees to search multiple locations manually, wasting hours each week trying to find the right information. Without a centralized discovery tool, users don’t know what data exists, where to find it, or whether it’s appropriate for their needs. Actian Explorer solves this by providing a single, intuitive search interface with a Google-like search engine where users can quickly find information by typing simple keywords, browse the catalog by topics, or explore based on past queries and most-searched items across your entire data ecosystem.

Business users often struggle to find data because traditional tools require technical knowledge of database schemas, table names, and query languages that they don’t possess. Actian Explorer democratizes data discovery with an intuitive, marketplace-inspired interface that allows users of all technical levels to search using plain language keywords, browse by business topics, and receive personalized recommendations, no technical expertise required.

Valuable knowledge about data usage, quality issues, and best practices remains trapped in individual employees’ minds rather than being shared across teams. Business users lack context for using datasets effectively, while data teams remain unaware of business needs and challenges. Actian Explorer simplifies collaboration through built-in features that enable users to share knowledge about catalog items and their usage, fostering interactions between data experts and business teams while aggregating institutional knowledge in a single accessible location.

Discovering data is only half the battle—users need confidence that the data is accurate, up-to-date, and appropriate for their intended use. Without visibility into data quality metrics, documentation, and lineage, users hesitate to use data for critical decisions, leading to analysis paralysis or poor outcomes. Actian Explorer provides real-time access to comprehensive business, technical, and operational documentation based on user permissions, along with statistical footprints and quality indicators that help users assess trustworthiness before making data-driven decisions.