We are hearing more and more about processing "in the Cloud".  This refers to using Software as a Service or SaaS solutions.  SaaS solutions are basically software solutions that are hosted in a data center instead of on-premise.  There are many advantages and some disadvantages to SaaS that you can find on the Internet by doing a search for SaaS advantages.  One of the main advantages everyone is touting is cost.

ETL stands for Extract – Transform – Load, and is the standard process by which most data integration takes place.  Data is extracted from one of more systems, consolidated and transformed, then loaded to the target system or systems.  This is usually done by a tool such as Informatica PowerCenter or DataStage.