Overview

  

The Javascript Data Collector (JDC) was developed for companies wanting the accuracy of a JavaScript-based data collection method while maintaining control of their own data rather than outsourcing the data collection to a hosted service.  The types of companies that use the JDC include:

 

Sites with a high volume of page views (over 1 million/month)

The JDC reliably collects high volumes of data in a compact format.  Storing and handling data is much more streamlined with the JDC than it is with raw log files from a web server.s

 

Sites with complex URL structures

The JDC can be configured to manipulate URLs at data collection time so websites that have URLs that make tracking difficult can be made more web analytics-friendly.

 

Multiple associated sites

The JDC provides flexible ways to combine different websites into one.

 

Environments where accuracy is paramount

JavaScript data collection is more accurate due to cache busting.

 

Sites with privacy concerns that rule out using ASP solution

With the JDC all visitor data is owned and controlled by the company that owns the website.

 

Sites that need to collect additional data beyond the standard logfile data

JavaScript data collection allows the ability to collect a wide range of data for analysis that can not be collected in log files.

 

Companies that need a single data source

Some companies run datasets for multiple customers.  Rather than collect logs from all those web servers, it may make more sense to collect all the data on the JDC.

 

 

Key Concepts

 

•The JDC is an "all-you-can-eat" solution.  It records visitor data from any number of web sites running on any number of web servers.

 

•It provides data accuracy by ensuring the dropping of session and unique visitor cookies, yet because the server can run at the owner's datacenter, the cookies need not be third-party cookies.

 

•With the JDC it is possible to exclude traffic from sections of sites that you don't want recorded (thereby improving performance) by simply not deploying the code in these sections

 

•The JDC can run on a very lightweight computer, as it performs just a few, very basic functions.