Knowledge Based Systems

What Knowledge Based Systems does

Knowledge Based Systems, Inc. (KBS), founded in 1988 and headquartered in Independence, Ohio, is a privately held database and consulting services firm operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of MediQuant, LLC. The company maintains a singular focus on solving data access challenges in healthcare by providing SQL, ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET connectivity to legacy M (MUMPS) databases. Its flagship product, KB_SQL, is positioned as the de facto standard for data access and reporting in MUMPS environments worldwide and supports all major MUMPS platforms including IRIS, Cache, DSM, MSM, MSE, HBOM, GTM, and M21. The product line is complemented by QREPro_Desktop, a Windows-based query management tool offering SQL Editor, EZQ Editor, File Image Inspector, and Query Inspector interfaces for users with varying SQL proficiency.

KBS generates revenue through three primary channels: direct enterprise software licensing (perpetual license model), a Value Added Reseller (VAR) program in which partners embed KB_SQL into their own healthcare applications and receive unlimited internal development licenses plus discounted runtime licenses for end customers, and a distributor network for organizations with established sales contacts in healthcare IT. A professional services line — covering system configuration, data dictionary mapping, and custom programming — is priced case-by-case. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The VAR channel is the primary go-to-market motion, with direct enterprise field sales serving healthcare organizations that manage their own IT. Marketing and demand generation are lightweight: a company website, sales email and phone outreach, an online support center (kbs.custhelp.com), and partner referral activity.

The company has established partnerships with premier healthcare application software providers who combine KB_SQL with proprietary data dictionaries to deliver SQL/ODBC access to end customers. Operating under the MediQuant corporate umbrella — a healthcare data archive provider with 20+ years of experience and thousands of system archive engagements — KBS extends its market reach into organizations undergoing data archiving, migration, and conversion projects. The firm maintains global channel operations but does not disclose headcount, revenue, customer counts, or funding data. No AI/ML capability is evidenced in the product set or company material.

Name

Knowledge Based Systems

Legal name

Knowledge Based Systems, Inc.

Website

https://kbsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Knowledge Based Systems, founded in 1988 and a subsidiary of MediQuant, provides SQL, ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET data access to legacy M (MUMPS) databases through its flagship KB_SQL product. It serves Value Added Resellers, distributors, and enterprise healthcare organizations needing to access and report on legacy MUMPS data.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Database Access Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Consent, Preference & Data Rights Management (incl. HIPAA/GDPR support) (HLACAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Database Tools & Ecosystem (Replication, Backup/Recovery, HA/DR, Monitoring) (HDAEAAAO)

Keywords

• Healthcare database access
• MUMPS data reporting
• SQL ODBC connectivity
• Legacy data integration
• Healthcare data archiving

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing - Direct to Enterprise: Enterprise clients who manage their own IT departments can license KB_SQL directly from KBS. Upon receipt of a software license key, customers download software components from the online knowledge base and build their own data dictionaries and reports. This is a direct, transactional licensing model.
2. VAR Runtime Licenses: Value Added Resellers who create software solutions for other organizations can license KB_SQL for their clients. VARs receive unlimited internal user licenses for development of KB_SQL components and receive discounts on runtime licenses for their end customers. This creates recurring runtime license revenue from the VAR's customer base.
3. Distributor Licensing: Distributors who have contacts within potential Enterprise or VAR clients can establish licensing and support arrangements directly with KBS. This channel provides another distribution mechanism for software licenses.
4. Professional Services and Consulting: KBS provides consulting services to VARs and enterprise clients including system configuration, data dictionary mapping, and custom programming. Services are evaluated, designed, and performed on a case-by-case basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Knowledge Based Systems (KBS) develops and licenses KB_SQL, a high-performance SQL and reporting environment that provides ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET connectivity to legacy M (MUMPS) databases used by healthcare applications. The company also offers QREPro_Desktop, a Windows-based query management tool, and provides consulting services for data dictionary mapping and custom programming.

Product overview

Knowledge Based Systems offers a focused product portfolio centered on healthcare data access and reporting for MUMPS database environments. The core offering is KB_SQL, a high-performance SQL and reporting solution that serves as the de facto standard for MUMPS database access worldwide. KB_SQL comes standard with QREPro_Desktop, which provides Windows-based terminal applications (SQL Editor and EZQ Editor) for writing, editing, storing, and executing report queries, offering both freeform SQL access and menu-driven query creation for non-technical users. Together, these products enable healthcare organizations to efficiently access legacy data stored in MUMPS databases while leveraging standard technologies like SQL, ODBC, and JDBC for modern reporting and data integration needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KB_SQL: Healthcare data access and reporting solution for M (MUMPS) databases; the flagship high-performance SQL and reporting environment providing SQL/ODBC/JDBC/ADO.NET access to MUMPS databases
• QREPro

Products and services

• KB_SQL KB_SQL is a high-performance SQL and reporting environment that provides ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET connectivity to M (MUMPS) databases used by healthcare applications. It enables SQL-based data access and reporting without copying data, supporting all major MUMPS databases (IRIS, Cache, DSM, MSM, MSE, HBOM, GTM, M21) and assisting with HIPAA compliance through granular user privileges.
• QREPro_Desktop QREPro_Desktop is a Windows-based query management and reporting tool that provides intuitive interfaces for KB_SQL. It includes SQL Editor for freeform queries, EZQ Editor for menu-driven query creation, File Image Inspector for data export, Query Inspector for monitoring scheduled queries, and supports output to MS Word, printers, and external files including Microsoft Excel-compatible formats.
• Professional Services and Consulting Professional services including system configuration, data dictionary mapping describing data stored in healthcare applications, and custom programming. Services are evaluated, designed, and performed on a case-by-case basis for both VARs and enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Routine information requests can be completed in minutes rather than hours using SQL Editor
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Value Added Resellers (VARs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKBS partners with Value Added Resellers who create software solutions to be licensed to other organizations. VARs receive unlimited user internal license for development of KB_SQL components, technical support for creation and packaging of reporting solutions, and discounts on run-time licenses for customers. This allows VARs to control the data dictionary and SQL/ODBC environment configuration to ensure consistency across their client base.
• DistributorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganizations with contacts within potential Enterprise or VAR clients can establish licensing and support arrangements directly with KBS. This assumes no specific knowledge of the client application and works best if the Distributor has a working knowledge of KB_SQL to complement licensing with value-added services.
• Healthcare Application Software ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationKBS has established partnerships with many of the premier healthcare application software providers in the industry. These partners combine KB_SQL with a data dictionary describing the data stored by their applications to provide SQL/ODBC access solutions to their end customers.
• MediQuantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBS is a subsidiary of MediQuant, healthcare's leading provider of enterprise data archive solutions. MediQuant has successfully navigated thousands of system archives over 20+ years, providing deep expertise, technology and tools. KBS's data access capabilities complement MediQuant's archiving and migration services, enabling comprehensive healthcare data management solutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oracle Health (Cerner): Major EHR and healthcare data platform vendor offering native data access, reporting, and analytics on top of its clinical systems. As Cerner/Oracle Health expands native MUMPS-era data tools, it represents both a customer-partner relationship for KBS and a long-term competitive threat.
• Health Catalyst: Healthcare data and analytics platform provider serving health systems with data warehousing, governance, and analytics. Comparable to KBS in addressing the healthcare data access and reporting problem, but at a much broader enterprise scale and with modern cloud-native infrastructure.
• InterSystems: Developer of IRIS and Caché (formerly Cache) — two of the most widely deployed MUMPS database platforms in healthcare. InterSystems is both a supported backend (KB_SQL supports Caché/IRIS) and a broad incumbent in healthcare data platforms with overlapping data access and integration capabilities.
• Epic Systems: Largest EHR vendor in US hospitals, with extensive native reporting, analytics, and data extraction tools (Cogito, Chronicles, etc.). Competes with KBS for the healthcare reporting and data access budget, and is the primary driver of MUMPS system migration that could erode KBS's addressable market.
• Veradigm (formerly Allscripts): Healthcare IT vendor offering EHR and data analytics solutions to hospitals and health systems, with native reporting and data access tooling that overlaps with KBS's MUMPS-era reporting capabilities for legacy customer bases.

Emerging players

• Arcadia: Healthcare-focused data analytics platform built for value-based care, ingesting data from multiple EHR and clinical systems. Competes with KBS for the healthcare data access and reporting budget, especially for organizations modernizing away from legacy MUMPS environments.
• NextGen Healthcare: Healthcare technology vendor providing EHR, practice management, and data analytics tools, including for organizations transitioning from legacy systems. Adjacent to KBS in addressing data access and reporting needs for healthcare organizations.

Direct peers

• Lyniate (Rhapsody): Healthcare interoperability platform focused on clinical data integration, including legacy system connectivity, HL7/FHIR, and message routing. Comparable to KBS in solving healthcare data access and integration challenges for systems with complex, legacy data structures.
• MediQuant: Parent company and most direct peer — MediQuant provides enterprise healthcare data archive solutions with 20+ years of experience navigating thousands of system archives. KBS operates as a core product subsidiary within MediQuant, addressing the same healthcare data management buyer with complementary archiving/migration capabilities.

Others

• Cloudticity: Healthcare-focused cloud and data engineering services firm helping health systems modernize legacy data platforms, including MUMPS migrations. Adjacent to KBS as an ecosystem enabler for healthcare organizations evaluating whether to keep MUMPS access or fully migrate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knowledge Based Systems