Big Thoughts on Big Data
May 26, 2012
CorrelSense recently reported on one of the hottest IT trends to date in the article, “Big Data is Truly Transforming the Enterprise.”
According to the MIT’s principal research scientist, Andrew McAfee, Big Data can be likened to the invention of the Microscope in the sense that it exposes information that we couldn’t have found before the way that the Microscope allows you to view things that previously could not be seen.
The article states:
“As IT Pros, you are going to have to learn to process this big data and find tools for the non-technical experts and suits in the C-Suite to mix and match the data. The big difference between this and traditional business intelligence is that with BI you were looking back where you were at a given point in time, whereas with Big Data, you can analyze data in real time and begin to make more intelligent decisions about where to put your resources at any given moment.”
Rather than reducing jobs, as many people fear that technological progression may do, it rather will create them. We’re obviously going to need more people to decipher through this growing pile of data.
Jasmine Ashton, May 26, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
SAP Big Blue Rides Hana
May 25, 2012
The University of Kentucky‘s business intelligence team has had to make some adjustments after the school implemented SAP‘s HANA system. ComputerWorld declares, “For Univ. of Kentucky, SAP’s HANA is ‘Disruptive’.” Writer Patrick Thibodeau, punning on the term “disruptive technology,” notes that the University is (purposely) using HANA to restructure its BI system to better analyze student retention.
The new in-memory systems like HANA pull data from RAM instead of from hard disks. Speed and relative simplicity are the advantages, but these systems do require a hardware investment. In this case, Dell provided the hardware and developed the school’s student retention data models.
HANA is only a year old, and questions about its longevity are still in the air. Part of the issue is the hardware question—should organizations deploy on the tried and true x86 system or go with an engineered system, like IBM’s new PureSystems. Thibodeau writes:
“Engineered systems offer performance gains, meaning faster time to realize value and ‘less cumbersome’ management, said Alys Woodward, a research director at IDC. On the other hand, ‘software on commodity hardware reduces vendor lock-in and enables the use of cheaper components,’ said Woodward.
“How SAP HANA ‘will play in the broader marketplace — outside SAP’s core install base — against Oracle Exadata and IBM engineered systems, depends to some extent on how these two opposing concepts will play out,’ said Woodward.”
So, x86 or engineered, take your pick. If you are considering HANA, though, the write up notes that you should make sure it will do what you want before buying the pricey software. It will not, for example, make up for poor data quality. It is also more worth the cost and effort someplace where business requirements change frequently than for an organization with a more static environment.
Cynthia Murrell, May 25, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Inteltrax: Top Stories, May 14 to May 18
May 21, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, how unstructured data is shaping the way vendors operate.
In “A Mountain of Unstructured Data” the problem of collecting tweets, posts, pictures, videos and more and making analytic sense is laid out.
“Unstructured Data Investment on the Horizon” shows how many companies are investing in solving their own unstructured data crises.
Finally, “Another Analytics Partnership is Born” showed companies joining forces to tackle this massive problem.
We’ve talked about unstructured data before, but we keep returning to the well because it’s such a massive concern for companies. Thankfully, those problems are being solved and we’re monitoring it every step of the way.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
May 21, 2012
Will Watson Make Billions for IBM?
May 20, 2012
Unlike other companies who spend their money snapping up smaller competitors or waging the patent wars, IBM focuses on good old R&D. That’s why InfoWorld’s Bill Snyder admires the company, he explains in “Beyond ‘Jeopardy’: How IBM Will Make Billions from Watson.”
Snyder praises the company for its focus on innovation over acquisition or legislation. He predicts the Watson technology will soon pay off big for IBM, though he admits the company is mum on how much cash went into the project. There are three big Watson-related deals in the works: Health benefits company WellPoint plans to use it to speed research and diagnosis. Cancer research institute Sloan-Kettering will use the technology to advance its essential explorations. Finally, Citigroup hopes to improve customer service with Watson. (But can it help with the image problems?)
Snyder acknowledges some may believe his claims about Watson’s future to be over the top:
“Did I drink a glass of Big Blue Kool-Aid during my meeting with Gold at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel this week? I don’t think so. If you look at the first real-world applications of Watson, you’ll notice they’re aimed at solving significant problems. Indeed, Watson may wind up saving lives — and, oh yes, make money for IBM and its shareholders.”
We’re all for the saving lives part, though we’re not too sure about the billions. Snyder isn’t the only one who sees Watson generating a fortune, though. He offers:
“In a research note late last year, CLSA analyst Ed Maguire estimated that Watson may generate $2.7 billion in revenue in 2015, adding 52 cents of earnings per share.”
So, are Snyder and Maguire right, is Watson a billion dollar baby? I wonder what answer it would give.
Cynthia Murrell, May 20, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
The Heat in SharePoint Semantics: May 4 to May 10
May 15, 2012
This week SharePoint Semantics shared some informative articles that pointed readers towards presentations and tips on how use SharePoint to make the best out of your business.
“Tips for Maximizing SharePoint For Corporate Communications Success” provides readers with an recap of a recent presentation along with several other resources to supplement the topic including: a PowerPoint presentation, a case study, an article, and a training.
Blogger Ken Toth informs:
“The free resources may be worth checking out if you’re looking to boost communications success in your organization. Maximizing SharePoint to manage your content and communications is no doubt a priority for success.”
Another informative post was “Presentation Recaps from Connect With the Experts SharePoint Day Now Available.” The article recaps a recent SharePoint presentation by Ant Clay where he spoke on SharePoint Performance and Business Intelligence.
After sharing Clay’s highlights from the day, Toth states:
“Stimulating conversation with fellows in the SharePoint community is a great way to participate in continuing education, get new ideas, and to develop a network of colleagues to call on throughout your SharePoint deployment and maintenance process. Slides from the presentations on why SharePoint works and how to govern it are also included if you missed the day’s talk.”
Another helpful article that offers solutions and applications on all versions of SharePoint is “Best Practices and Tips for Using Corasworks and SharePoint to Improve Work Processes.”
Suggested tools that better service the customer include: an app request system, task management and an app catalog.
Toth thinks:
“The best practices may be worth reviewing, especially to get tips for weekly programmatic reviews. We also know that it is best practice to use a powerful search feature to connect your users with the valuable information they need. Look to Smartlogic to enrich your metadata and provide an enhanced search and navigation experience with the Semaphore Content Intelligence Platform.”
Toth is absolutely right. Using a third party solution to solve your SharePoint needs is always an excellent idea for those who are not interested in taking the time and energy necessary to do the research on your own.
Jasmine Ashton, May 15, 2012
Inteltrax: Top Stories, May 7 to May 11
May 14, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, hot trends among the industry.
The hottest trend in most businesses is change and “How an Analytic Firm Handles Challenges” highlights the rapidly evolving Petri dish of data analytics.
The law has been a major topic of talk and “Google Indiscretions Prove Need for Secure Data Mining” looks at how the search giant’s analytics arm might be violating laws and trust.
Partnerships have been the biggest trend in big data this year and “Clients Win When Big Data Partners” examines Cloudera’s recent teamwork.
These are just a sampling of the big time changes moving this industry forward at a frantic pace. It’s exciting and you can catch the thrill every day as we cull analytic news from around the globe.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
May 14, 2012
German Mathematicians: A Harbinger of Big Trouble for Sci-Tech Publishing
May 11, 2012
If you pay attention to scientific and technical publishing, you may know that there are significant financial pressures on sci tech publishers like Elsevier, Springer, and their compatriots. But the customers face financial pressures as well. Universities have taken steps to reduce their costs. Libraries have had their budgets cut. Tenure windows have been shut. Even the composition of a university’s faculty has undergone major changes. Some adjunct professors have to moonlight to cover their basic necessities.
I noted a short news item from the technical institute in Munich known as TUM or Technische Universität München. Without a University of Kentucky grade basketball team, most of my neighbors in Harrod’s Creek ignore this outfit. If you are into math, you pay attention to what the institution does.
Navigate to this news item and you will read:
Because of unsustainable subscription prices and conditions, the board of directors of the mathematics department has voted to cancel all of its subscriptions to Elsevier journals by 2013.
Negotiations are underway to work out a deal. The Elsevier organization is meeting to figure out how to prevent an “occupy Wall Street” type of activity among other German universities. If Elsevier does not come up with a solution and quickly, the company would have to cope with push back from authors who are annoyed with the Elsevier publishing policies and fees and cancellation of subscriptions from its best and most prestigious customers.
In short, we may have the first blinking of a yellow caution light for the professional publishing sector. Most consumers don’t know how much it costs to get four or more issues of a technical publication for one year. Some of the articles have been in the editorial and peer review oven for months. Online content is getting better and may be “good enough” for most researchers and students. In the case of math, online delivers more timely results and broad access to a technical write up can yield quicker, higher value commentary.
Will the loss of a single math department’s subscriptions have a significant impact on Elsevier’s financials this month? No. If the cancellation fever spreads and hybridizes with push back from authors, Elsevier could be in trouble, probably within a quarter or two.
Don’t agree? That’s okay. Just post your views in the comments section of this blog.
Stephen E Arnold, May 10, 2012
Sponsored by Ikanow
Inteltrax: Top Stories, April 30 to May 4
May 7, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, where the power lies in the analytic world.
Our story, “Korea Gets Analytic Attention” shows that China doesn’t deserve all the analytic attention when discussing Asian superpowers.
However, that doesn’t mean that China isn’t astoundingly powerful in the big data market. Our story, “Beijing Set to be the new Analytic Wall Street” all but solidifies that notion.
However, nations don’t hold all the strength. “Analytic Partner Power” highlights the growing shift of strong analytic companies teaming together to weather any storm.
Whether nations are on the rise, staying on top or innovative business ideas are helping forge new strengths, we’ll be keeping an eye on everything in the big data analytics sphere. Keep up with the news every day.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
May 7, 2012
Constellio Profile Now Available
May 1, 2012
If you are tracking open source search, you can download a free profile of Doculibre’s Constellio system. Each week, ArnoldIT will make available a profile of an open source search vendor. You can request a copy of this week’s profile from our TheSeed2020 site. We leave each new profile “live” for one week. If you want the complete set, you will need to request each profile when the file becomes available.
The full collection will comprise 12 profiles. Once each profile has been available without charge, the full collection plus the market analysis and outlook sections will be available in a single PDF file for a service charge.
Stephen E Arnold, May 1, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT
Inteltrax: Top Stories, April 23 to April 27
April 30, 2012
Inteltrax, the data fusion and business intelligence information service, captured three key stories germane to search this week, specifically, problems in the data analytics world and how they are overcome.
“The Trouble with Big Data and Social Media” took a look at the overwhelming glut of info brought on by social media and how analytics looks to wrangle it.
“Big Data Law Could Smooth Bad Government PR” actually looks to smooth over a prior problem. The government appears to be making nice with big data companies after threatening its reputation in a data mining suit.
“Big Data Downfall Not Believable” zeroes in on the naysayers of big data and proves them wrong at every turn.
As with any burgeoning industry, there are lows that go along with the highs. Often, like with the above stories, you can learn a lot about how people handle these rough patches. You can bet we’ll be studying these moments along with the highs every day.
Follow the Inteltrax news stream by visiting www.inteltrax.com
Patrick Roland, Editor, Inteltrax.
April 30, 2012
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