Teradata runs its own operating system, NCR UNIX SVR4 MP-RAS, a variant of System V UNIX from AT&T and on Microsoft W2K servers.
Teradata DBMS often stand by themselves and are used through ODBC by applications typically running on a different operating system such as Microsoft Windows or other flavors of UNIX.
The first and foremost customer of this DBMS is Wal-Mart, who run their central inventory and other financial systems on Teradata.
The main competitors are other high-end vendors such as IBM and Oracle.