Splunk and Tableau Developed Connector to Analyze Machine-Generated Data
March 27, 2014
The article on TechWorld titled Tableau Folds Splunk Data Into Business Analysis shares information on the new connector enabling the analysis of machine-generated data, developed in partnership by Tableau Enterprises and Splunk. The collaboration allows for a better understanding of product analytics and customer experience, since Splunk’s software collects data on what customers do when they visit a website. The article explains,
“The new driver for Tableau expands the scope of how Splunk data can be used by the enterprise. It imports data captured by Splunk into Tableau’s data processing and visualization environment. As a result, business analysts can merge the event data generated by servers with other sources of data, which would potentially provide new insights into customer behavior or corporate operations…The connector is a ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) driver that is included in the Tableau 8.1.4 maintenance release.”
Splunk’s software was initially used more for finding issues in a system, but with the addition of analysis tools the software’s ability’s were broadened. Now instead of just noting trouble spots on a website, the software is used to discover patterns in customer behavior. The article uses the example of users filling shopping carts on a website but not making purchases. Splunk’s software is used by managers to pinpoint the issue that is causing that lack of follow-through. Whether or not the partnership of Tableau and Splunk will pay off remains to be seen.
Chelsea Kerwin, March 27, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
The Observatory of Economic Complexity
March 26, 2014
The future of search may just be here, in the form of a specialized search engine courtesy of MIT (quelle surprise!) The Observatory of Economic Complexity (ECI) is the result of a 2010 Master Thesis in Media Arts and Sciences by one Alexander Simoes, and enjoys the continuing support of the MIT Media Lab‘s consortia for undirected research. A history of the project’s contributions is available on Github. Some technical details from the project’s FAQ page:
“Where does the data come from?
“The observatory provides access to bilateral trade data for roughly 200 countries, 50 years and 1000 different products of the SITC4 revision 2 classification. For historical SITC classification data, we use data from The Center for International Data from Robert Feenstra. For up to date HS classification data, we use data provided by UN COMTRADE.
“Can I download this data?
“Sure! You can download the latest dump of the entire data (in MySQL format) here. Or if you are looking for data on a particular country or product, you can click the CSV download button on the right-hand side of all explore pages.”
The rest of the FAQ page lets users know how they can help the project improve by contributing translations, correcting errors, and reporting bugs. Besides the search functionality, there’s a Rankings page listing countries by their current ECI values. The site also offers profiles of different countries’ economic activity. As of this writing, though, I can’t seem to pull up a profile of a specific country, but rather click through a series of what seem like randomly presented entries. An interesting way to kill a few minutes of time, but not so good for finding specific information. If that’s a bug, I hope it’s fixed soon. If it’s a feature… I hope it’s fixed soon.
One more thing to note about this project—it has the potential to inform global policy in ways that make life better around the world. Their book “The Atlas of Economic Complexity: Mapping Paths to Prosperity” makes the case, and is free to download. Said a World Bank chief economist in 2011, “The ECI can play a very important role. It can help identify the role for developing countries.” We do hope the Observatory will live up to its potential.
Cynthia Murrell, March 26, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Performance Data for Cloud Computing
March 25, 2014
If you are weighing your cloudy options, InfoWorld has an article for you—”Ultimate Cloud Speed Tests: Amazon vs. Google vs. Windows Azure.” Results? The subtitle gives us the short answer—”A diverse set of real-world Java benchmarks shows Google is fastest, Azure is slowest, and Amazon is priciest.” The long answer takes up several pages, as journalist Peter Wayner shares details of his results. He writes:
“To test out the options available to anyone looking for a server, I rented some machines on Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Windows Azure and took them out for a spin. The good news is that many of the promises have been fulfilled. If you click the right buttons and fill out the right Web forms, you can have root on a machine in a few minutes, sometimes even faster. All of them make it dead simple to get the basic goods: a Linux distro running what you need.
“At first glance, the options seem close to identical. You can choose from many of the same distributions, and from a wide range of machine configuration options. But if you start poking around, you’ll find differences—including differences in performance and cost.”
Naturally, the best choice for each organization depends on more than those basic factors. See the article for the data and patterns Wayner has assembled from his tests. I’ll share a couple of his value-related observations—not only was Google’s service the fastest overall, it was also cheapest overall. There’s a case to be made for Azure’s economy version Small for those on a tight budget, but, Wayner says, “Amazon was rarely a bargain.” Even if your organization is not currently facing this decision, this article is a good one to tuck away for future reference.
Cynthia Murrell, March 25, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Full Fidelity Analytics from Karmasphere
March 18, 2014
It is the data equivalent of a distortion-free sound system— Karmasphere blogs about what they are calling “Full-Fidelity Analytics.” Karmashpere founder Martin Hall explains what the analytics-for-Hadoop company means by the repurposed term:
“Ensuring Full-Fidelity Analytics means not compromising the data available to us in Hadoop in order to analyze it. There are three principles of Full-Fidelity Analytics:
1. Use the original data. Don’t pre-process or abstract it so it loses the richness that is Hadoop
2. Keep the data open. Don’t make it proprietary which undermines the benefits of Hadoop open standards
3. Process data on-cluster without replication. Replication and off-cluster processing increases complexity and costs of hardware and managing the environment.
“By adhering to these principals during analytics, the data remains rich and standard empowering deep insights faster for companies in the era of Big Data.”
The post goes on to list several advantages to the unadulterated-data policy; Hall declares that it reduces complexity, lowers the total cost of ownership, and avoids vendor lock-in, to name a few benefits. The write-up also discusses the characteristics of a full-fidelity analytics system. For example, it uses the standard Hadoop metastore, processes analytics on-cluster, and, above all, avoids replication and sampling. See the post for more details about this concept. Founded in 2010, Karmasphere is headquartered in Cupertino, California.
Cynthia Murrell, March 18, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
How to Download Dassault’s White Paper on Cloudview Master Data Management
March 13, 2014
The update on Business & Decisions titled White Paper: EXALEAD Cloudview Master Data Management offers a download of a paper on master data management. In order to download the white paper, you must register, send a comment and return to the download page. At this point you will be able to download the white paper. The paper offers such information as an introduction to master data management (MDM), how to improve MDM with EXELEAD Cloudview, how to hasten processes and generate results quickly. Cloudview enables a business to “democrative” their master data usage by making it available to users and applications outside of the organization. There is even information on how to be cost-effective and avoid MDM when dealing with limited data volumes. However your business is using Cloudview, this white paper will be helpful. The article explains,
“To download your copy, please click the download button on the right to submit your information. Once the form is completed and submitted, you may click the button once more to download your document.”
Registration seems like a small price to pay for Dassault Exaleads offer of a white paper about master data management. Just register and learn how search at Dassault has morphed in a quest for sales traction.
Chelsea Kerwin, March 13, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Tableau Finds Success Since Going Public Last Year
March 12, 2014
Investment site the Street is very enthused about Tableau Software, which went public less than a year ago. In fact, they go so far as to announce that “Tableau’s Building the ‘Google for Data’.” In this piece, writer Andrea Tse interviews Tableau CEO Christian Chabot. In her introduction, Tse notes that nearly a third of the company’s staff is in R&D—a good sign for future growth. She also sees the direction of Tableau’s research as a wise. The article explains:
“The research and development team has been heavily focused on developing technology that’s free of skillset constraints, utilizable by everyone. This direction has been driven by the broad, corporate cultural shift to employee-centric, online-accessible data analytics, from the more traditional, hierarchical or top-down approach toward data analysis and dissemination.
“Tableau 9 and Tableau 10 that are in the product pipeline and soon-to-be-shipped Tableau 8.2 are designed to highlight ‘storytelling’ or visually striking data presentation.
“Well-positioned to ride the big data wave, Tableau shares, as of Tuesday’s [February 11] intraday high of $95, are now trading over 206% above its initial public offering price of $31 set on May 16.”
In the interview, Chabot shares his company’s research philosophy, touches on some recent large deals, and takes a gander at what’s is ahead. For example, his developers are currently working hard on a user-friendly mobile platform. See the article for details. Founded in 2003 and located in Seattle, Tableau Software grew from a project begun at Stanford University. Their priority is to help ordinary people use data to solve problems quickly and easily.
Cynthia Murrell, March 12, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Datameer as a Spreadsheet, Combining Multiple Data Sources and Datasets
February 27, 2014
The article titled How to Integrate Multiple Data Types Into Hadoop With Datameer on the Datameer blog delves into the staff’s favorite features of the program. Besides a small amount of gushing, the article offers insight into the workings of Datameer and metaphors for its applications. The author says that Datameer’s ability to combine various data sources is its best feature, due to the ease with which users can combine datasets. The article states,
“One of the most compelling features in Datameer, in my opinion, is its ability to bring in multiple different data sources — structured, unstructured, from traditional databases, cloud sources, local files, etc. — and then be able to combine those datasets quickly and easily. You can think of Datameer as the single spreadsheet to bring previously siloed data sources together into a single view. I’ve created the below video to show you just how easy it is to do in our data integration wizard.”
The article offers the example from the Datameer staff workers, whose marketing office daily pulls from both Salesforce aand Marketo, two separate datasets. Datameer is set to automatically integrate the data into a single, more powerful dataset. The article also notes that if you don’t see your own preference for data source in the screenshot demos, Datameer also offers plug-ins for a customer connection.
Chelsea Kerwin, February 27, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Watson Goes to Africa
February 26, 2014
Is big data the key to boosting Africa’s economic prowess? IBM seems to think so, and it is sending in its AI ambassador Watson to help with the continent’s development challenges. Watson is IBM’s natural language processing system that famously won Jeopardy in 2011. Now, Phys,org announces that “IBM Brings Watson to Africa.” The $100 million initiative is known as Project Lucy, named after the skeleton widely considered the earliest known human ancestor (Australopithecus, to be specific), discovered in Africa in 1974. (I would be remiss if I did not mention that an older skeleton, Ardipithecus, was found in 1994; there is still no consensus on whether this skeleton is really a “human ancestor,” though many scientists believe it is. But I digress.)
The write-up tells us:
“Watson technologies will be deployed from IBM’s new Africa Research laboratory providing researchers with a powerful set of resources to help develop commercially-viable solutions in key areas such as healthcare, education, water and sanitation, human mobility and agriculture.
“To help fuel the cognitive computing market and build an ecosystem around Watson, IBM will also establish a new pan-African Center of Excellence for Data-Driven Development (CEDD) and is recruiting research partners such as universities, development agencies, start-ups and clients in Africa and around the world. By joining the initiative, IBM’s partners will be able to tap into cloud-delivered cognitive intelligence that will be invaluable for solving the continent’s most pressing challenges and creating new business opportunities.”
IBM expects that with the help of its CEDD, Watson will be able to facilitate data collection and analysis on social and economic conditions in Africa, identifying correlations across multiple domains. The first two areas on Watson’s list are healthcare and education, both realms where improvement is sorely needed. The Center will coordinate with IBM’s 12 laboratories around the world and its new Watson business unit. (Wait, Watson now has its own business unit?) See the article for more on this hopeful initiative.
Cynthia Murrell, February 26, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Silobreaker Profiled
February 26, 2014
One of our favorite data outfits has been profiled at the British legal news site The Lawyer in, “The London Startup Giving Meaning to Big Data.” Our own Stephen E. Arnold did an extensive interview with the firm’s director Mats Bjore last November for his excellent Search Wizards Speak series. Though much more brief than his piece, the Lawyer write-up emphasizes one of this company’s key advantages—its commitment to connecting the dots between data sources. That focus has led clients to seek out Silobreaker for data-related security work. We’re told:
“Silobreaker did not specialise in cyber security from the start. Rather, cyber security came to it in the form of some of the largest US hardware and software companies looking to gain insight into threat intelligence data they had gathered.
“The company believes that because many organisations operate in siloed environments there is a disconnect between data sources – customer or financial information, social media data, market analyses and so on. Companies and governments need to inject some sense into their information by bringing all those sources together.
“[…]Co-founder and CEO Kristofer Månsson says, ‘Governments and companies need us to give the information they have some context. The services we provide – geopolitical analysis, monitoring of global events or situational awareness through social media, for example – are not part of a cyber security company’s traditional offering. But we’re still a cyber company by association because of what we do.'”
Besides Silobreaker’s skilled and effective data integration, we also like them for their constant innovation and their ability to see things from the end-user’s perspective. Even greater praise: The ArnoldIT team uses Silobreaker for our intelligence-related work. Launched in 2005, Silobreaker is headquartered in London. They serve clients in corporate, government, military, and financial services realms.
Cynthia Murrell, February 26, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Putting a Value on Unstructured Data
February 21, 2014
The conventional wisdom is that the data derived from social media has great value. It is fast overtaking traditional media, with 70% of adults in the US using Facebook, and 63% of all Facebook users visiting the site at least once a day. That doesn’t even begin to address Twitter, LinkedIn or niche social networks like Ravelry.
What users share on social networks is unstructured data, and IT’s challenge is to extract business value from that unstructured data. But what is that data worth? Loraine Lawson considered the question in her recent blog post “Do Businesses Really Value Social Media Data?” for IT BusinessEdge.
Lawson notes that Dun and Bradstreet has entered into a partnership with business analytics vendor FirstRain that will allow D&B to integrate unstructured social data into its existing enterprise data products at no additional cost. Forbes’ Ben Kepes reported this development, and his column sparked Lawson to wonder,
“Social media data that has been integrated and given to clients…for free? As Kepes notes, that could be interpreted as ‘an admission that enterprises aren’t buying into the idea of unstructured data’s value proposition on its own.’”
On the other hand, Oracle will be happy to sell you a solution to leverage social media data. It’s clear the marketplace hasn’t quite reached consensus on the value of unstructured data.
Laura Abrahamsen, February 21, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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