Big data analytics
Big data analytics is the often complex process of examining big data to uncover information -- such as hidden patterns, correlations, market trends and customer preferences -- that can help organizations make informed business decisions.. See complete definition.
Top Stories
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Feature
21 Nov 2022
What makes up an analytics pipeline?
Analytics pipelines were traditionally hidden away, but they're changing as more organizations focus on agility for their data. Learn what makes up a successful analytics pipeline. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Oct 2022
Make data usability a priority on data quality for big data
To help make big data analytics applications more effective, IT teams must augment conventional data quality processes with measures aimed at improving data usability for analysts. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 May 2019
6 tips for effective customer data mining
Digging into customer data can improve sales opportunities -- but how do you balance that against data privacy concerns? Get insights from data professionals. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 May 2019
Inside view of Tibco integration architecture planning
Tibco's acquisitions of well-regarded, small software specialists such as SnappyData are part of a drive toward what it calls 'connected intelligence.' CTO Nelson Petracek provides background. Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2019
Qlik debuts free data literacy certification
Qlik unveiled a free data literacy certification in the hopes of making people -- both customers and non-customers -- more data literate. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 May 2019
Advice on enterprise data cleansing from an SAP VP
SAP's Kristin McMahon details data cleansing best practices and explains why a good data cleanse needs continual communication, collaboration and oversight. Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2019
Red Hat OpenShift Operators target AI, big data workloads
Speedy deployment of machine learning jobs may not arrive too soon. But container platform enhancements from Red Hat aim to quicken the uptake of such innovations. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 May 2019
Data modeling software tackles glut of new data sources
Data modeling platforms are starting to incorporate features to automate data-handling processes, but IT must still address entity resolution, data normalization and governance. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2019
SAS Viya cloud software at center of SAS analytics strategy
The spotlight at SAS Global Forum 2019 was on the vendor's Viya analytics tools, which are getting new functionality and licensing options meant to spur deployments. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2019
A future data scientist needs business, deep learning skills
As automation grows, data scientists will focus more on business needs, strategic oversight and deep learning and less on model creation and other routine tasks. Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2019
Databricks open sources data lake building tool Databricks Delta Lake
Databricks Delta is now Delta Lake, an open source tool for building in data lakes. Databricks introduced the product at Spark + AI Summit 2019, alongside the upcoming Spark 3.0. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Apr 2019
Augmented BI tools speed insights with less manual labor
Through AI, machine learning and NLP, augmented analytics reduces the manual labor of traditional BI work to more quickly and accurately locate and analyze relevant data. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Apr 2019
Most in-demand data science skills include ML, Python
Experts detail the skills employers want most in data scientists -- notably machine learning and programming languages -- and why often the most valuable expertise comes with time. Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2019
Google takes a run at enterprise cloud data management
New Google Cloud boss Thomas Kurian is putting databases and data management at the forefront at Google. The vendor has forged key data deals, showing a more mature Google Cloud. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Apr 2019
4 factors to consider in a Hadoop distributions comparison
Examine the key characteristics necessary to evaluate in a Hadoop distribution comparison, focusing on enterprise features, subscription options and deployment models. Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2019
Kafka at center of new event processing infrastructure
Events are as important as data in emerging applications underlying many e-commerce efforts. Streams of events tell a company what motivates customers to use online products. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Apr 2019
Data-rich organizations turn focus to ethical data mining
As data analytics has increasingly become a core component of organizations' strategies, concerns have arisen around how data is mined. Experts offer tips. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Apr 2019
How modern business intelligence shapes up to big data
Business intelligence and analytics strategies have evolved in recent years in the face of big data. Here, we get a supplier CEO perspective, some analyst counsel, and testimony from Nationwide, Schroders and King Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2019
Equifax and FICO unite to move into alternative data market
With the Equifax-FICO alliance, the credit giants are offering a combined Data Decisions Cloud suite they hope can solidify their place in the alternative data market. Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2019
Tools fill gaps in predictive modeling and machine learning
Machine learning platforms can bring the lone data scientist into the overall workflow. Updates to tooling also let that data scientist use familiar development interfaces. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Apr 2019
Qlik Research head talks Associative Engine, NLP and Data Swarm
Elif Tutuk, research head at Qlik, discusses projects her team is working on -- including a smarter Associative Engine, multi-attribute visualizations and NLP. Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2019
Facebook alumni forge own paths to big data analytics tools
Startups Interana and Rockset differ in their approaches to providing new query capabilities on fast-arriving big data. Both are led by technologists who started at Facebook. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2019
Machine learning approaches gain critical mass for data pros
Machine learning will bring change to analytics and data management, said data luminary Michael Stonebraker. Others agree managing such change will take special effort. Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2019
Aerospike database garners Spark, Kafka connectors
Apache Kafka and Apache Spark connectors ease use of the Aerospike NoSQL data store in high-speed applications such as analytics that are becoming more broadly supported. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2019
Users find data preparation tools vital to BI strategies
Data preparation isn't the sexiest topic, but it's critically important to IT and business users, according to a study by Dresner Advisory Services. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Mar 2019
Augmented analytics tools, NLP search, graph are trending
Augmented analytics, NLP and graph analytics are changing the data and analytics market, according to Gartner -- enabling users to more easily get at and share data. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Mar 2019
smart manufacturing (SM)
Smart manufacturing (SM) is a technology-driven approach that utilizes Internet-connected machinery to monitor the production process. The goal of SM is to identify opportunities for automating operations and use data analytics to improve manufacturing performance. Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2019
Hazelcast grid tunes for data scalability tradeoffs
An in-memory data grid (IMDG) from Hazelcast lets designers tune subsystems to support consistency over availability, or the reverse, depending on what designers want. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Feb 2019
Explore Hadoop distributions to manage big data
Discover the uses of Hadoop distributions and the first steps in evaluating these products, as well as how the merger of rivals Cloudera and Hortonworks affects the market. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Feb 2019
What to consider when choosing big data file formats
While JSON may be the go-to data format for developers, Parquet, ORC or other options may be better for analytics apps. Learn more about big data file formats. Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2019
Originators form group to boost Presto SQL query engine
The Presto engine arose as an alternative to Hive for big data queries. Now, the Presto Software Foundation has formed to promote the SQL query software's virtues. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Feb 2019
5 best practices for managing real-time data integration
Real-time data integration isn't like traditional data integration -- "it's moving, it's dirty and it's temporal," cautions one data pro. Experts offer up some best practices. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Feb 2019
Expert urges data pros to hone data science skills
IT expert William McKnight shares job tips for data professionals looking to prosper in a changing enterprise. His first piece of advice: continually foster data science skills. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jan 2019
Demand for data scientists is booming and will only increase
Fueled by big data and AI, demand for data science skills is growing exponentially, according to job sites. The supply of skilled applicants, however, is growing at a slower pace. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2019
IT managers look to deploy BI, analytics in the cloud
More organizations plan to use cloud-based BI and analytics and focus on data governance and predictive analytics, TechTarget's 2019 IT Priorities Survey found. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2019
Advantages of graph databases: Easier data modeling, analytics
Graph databases are finding a place in analytics applications at organizations that need to be able to map and understand the connections in large and varied data sets. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jan 2019
Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky talks strategy
Tableau’s CEO, Adam Selipsky, talks strategy and business intelligence trends with Computer Weekly. He asserts enterprise relevance for Tableau, predicts BI tools consolidation and a ubiquitous user base for analytics Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Jan 2019
Southern Water’s centralised data team geared for silo busting
Southern Water has centralised its data specialists and overhauled its data management and business intelligence technology to support business decision-making at scale Continue Reading
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News
28 Dec 2018
Data management trends for 2019: Governance, DataOps, cloud
Better data governance, increased cloud use and wider DataOps adoption head the list of trends for data management teams to plan for in 2019, IT analysts say. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Dec 2018
5 tips for enabling citizen data scientists
Self-service analytics tools are enabling citizen data scientists to dig deeper into BI than ever before. Experts offer insights into how to empower data democratization. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Dec 2018
Why data literacy skills still matter with augmented analytics
Democratizing data analytics gives everyone access to tools and information, but data literacy is still required for analyzing data and delivering successful outcomes. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Dec 2018
FaunaDB distributed cloud database hunts transactional NoSQL
Startup Fauna has built a "relational NoSQL" database for distributed transaction processing. Data consistency and speedy builds attracted early user ShiftX. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Nov 2018
What you need to know about network analytics software
Reality check: Are network analytics tools overhyped? This guide explores the key features of these tools, how they can help and their effect on networking's future. Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
Deep learning in big data analytics with Sisense Hunch
Sisense Hunch, a new Sisense BI tool, enables big data analytics for IoT devices by using deep learning to automatically extract insights from big data. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Nov 2018
How Morgan Stanley scaled up Tableau self-service analytics
Morgan Stanley wanted to empower users to make data-driven decisions. A Tableau analytics platform was the answer. The problem: introducing it to 30,000 users. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Nov 2018
Data silos can live or die by a self-service BI strategy
Self-service BI is a driving force behind the reshaping or possible demise of data silos. But sound data governance and corporate attitude adjustments are needed first. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Nov 2018
What data management challenges do analytics programs face?
Expert Anne Marie Smith shares five reasons why organizations' analytics programs might fail and how a data management framework and other programs can help. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Nov 2018
Analytics for IoT requires a sound strategy for success
IoT analytics projects can supply important insights to aid the business bottom line. But first you must understand the varieties of data and pick the best tool for the job. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Nov 2018
IoT data analytics holds the key to putting data to use
Applying IoT data analysis to info gathered from connected devices is key to extracting the data's potential value. Knowing how to get from potential to realized, though, is the challenge. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Nov 2018
10 features to look for in visualization tools for big data
Big data is meaningless if it isn't understandable. Experts explain why users need data visualization tools that offer embeddability, actionability and more. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Nov 2018
6 big data visualization project ideas and tools
These data visualization project examples and tools illustrate how enterprises are expanding the use of "data viz" tools to get a better look at big data. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Oct 2018
10 tips for implementing visualization for big data projects
Organizations need to keep users and design at the forefront when launching data visualization efforts, according to experts. Find out why colors and sizing matter. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Oct 2018
Neo4j graph database targets AI use cases, performance
The Neo4j graph database is poised for use in AI applications, in which understanding data can stymie efforts. Recent updates target AI needs and performance issues. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Oct 2018
Cloud buoys data microservices -- for on-premises systems, too
Data in a microservices architecture is percolating anew. This news analysis looks at IBM Cloud Private for Data and other means to harmonize data in public and private locations. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2018
Cloudera-Hortonworks merger narrows Hadoop users' options
Hadoop users will have fewer choices as big data rivals Cloudera and Hortonworks unite. But the new company may be more competitive with AWS and Google. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Oct 2018
UCSD graduates to advanced analytics with SAP HANA platform
The University of California, San Diego implemented an SAP HANA platform that uses advanced analytics and machine learning to run operations and help students graduate on time. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Oct 2018
Data science teams use business ties to boost data knowledge
To ensure that advanced analytics applications are relevant to business operations, data scientists are collaborating with workers who are experts on business data. Continue Reading
- E-Zine 01 Oct 2018
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Opinion
01 Oct 2018
Augmented analytics reveals the hidden side of things
The rise of augmented analytics empowers businesses to find correlations in data that might very well be the critical difference in operational efficiency and cost savings. Continue Reading
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Podcast
27 Sep 2018
Big data platform broadens place in analytics architecture
Big data platforms stumbled a bit getting out of the prototyping stage. But a view from the Strata Data Conference in New York sees broader use in the offing. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Sep 2018
Mining equipment maker uses BI on Hadoop to dig for data
BI on Hadoop is still new, but moving BI to data is trending. A data scientist working with IoT data at Komatsu sees the importance of getting big data to the right people. Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Sep 2018
5 trends driving the big data evolution
The speedy evolution of big data technologies is connected to five trends, including practical applications of machine learning and cheap, abundantly available compute resources. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2018
Containers key for Hortonworks alliance on big data hybrid
Hortonworks is joining with Red Hat and IBM to work together on a hybrid big data architecture format that will run using containers both in the cloud and on premises. Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2018
Using visualizations and analytics in media content
By using the best mass media BI practices, from data visualization to measuring metrics, companies like Condé Nast and Comcast are attracting consumers and raising revenues. Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2018
Graph processing gives credit analysis firms an edge
A graph database startup's parallel loading, processing and querying combine to deliver real-time data for fintech firms that offer fast credit evaluations online. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Aug 2018
Reddit and the aspiring data scientist
For amateur data scientists, Reddit provides the opportunity to post about personal projects, chat with like-minded people and get free advice from a large community. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2018
Confluent Platform 5.0 aims to mainstream Kafka streaming
Confluent Platform updates seek to bring data streaming with Apache Kafka to a wider audience. A new GUI and user-defined functions are part of the 5.0 release. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2018
BigQuery ML moves machine learning into Google BigQuery
Google is enabling BigQuery users to build SQL-based machine learning models inside the cloud data warehouse via a BigQuery ML technology now out in beta. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2018
Qlik-Podium acquisition aims to boost BI data management
With its acquisition of Podium Data, Qlik seeks to amplify its enterprise BI data management capabilities and raise the level of competition with Tableau and Power BI. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2018
Data analytics in government efforts lack structure
Data analytics in government agencies lack organization, focusing on immediate problems instead of attacking underlying causes without a unified strategy or system. Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Jul 2018
Reskilling the analytics team: Math, science and creativity
Technical skills are a must for data scientists. But to make analytics teams successful, they also need to think creatively, work in harmony and be good communicators. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2018
Chief data officer role: Searching for consensus
The chief data officer role is about many things -- regulations, innovation, AI and more. Consultant Randy Bean discussed the matter ahead of an MIT symposium on the topic. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Jul 2018
Labeled data brings machine learning applications to life
The types of data being collected for analytics use are increasing, but traditional structured data is a good match for machine learning. Gartner's Svetlana Sicular explains why. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2018
GPU cloud tools take complexity out of machine learning infrastructure
While talk of AI on GPUs is abuzz, actually building a machine learning infrastructure remains a dark art. A startup's PaaS is looking to automate parts of the process. Continue Reading
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Podcast
02 Jul 2018
Hadoop data governance services surface in wake of GDPR
GDPR influence is touching a Hadoop big data world that was immune to many privacy considerations until now. This podcast features the rise of Hadoop data governance for data lakes. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2018
MongoDB 4.0, Stitch aim to grow NoSQL apps in cloud, on-prem
NoSQL vendor MongoDB upgraded its database software with ACID support, while also releasing a serverless platform intended to simplify application development. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2018
Hadoop data lake architecture tests IT on data integration
Hortonworks users talk about building Hadoop data lakes to support new applications -- and the challenges their teams face on ingesting and refining data for end users. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2018
Hortonworks cloud options grow via Google, Microsoft, IBM
Hortonworks now supports Google Cloud Storage and has also broadened cloud deals with Microsoft and IBM, aiming to increase cloud uses of its big data platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jun 2018
Google Cloud data lake fuels cloud payment processing flow
To create a cloud payment processing system, Global Payments first had to deploy a data lake in the Google Cloud. Getting quick user feedback was another early step. Continue Reading
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Podcast
01 Jun 2018
Starburst finds new worlds to conquer with SQL query engine
Relational databases may have hit a wall of late, but the SQL query engine seems poised for wider growth. Starburst, a retro startup of sorts, is among those looking to take it wider still. Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2018
New data science platforms aim to be workflow, collaboration hubs
Oracle's acquisition of DataScience.com is shining a spotlight on workbench-style platforms designed to centralize advanced analytics work by teams of data scientists. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 May 2018
AI elevates predictive maintenance for Kone and ThyssenKrupp
Kone and ThyssenKrupp are using artificial intelligence to improve predictive maintenance of their lifts and escalators Continue Reading
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Feature
11 May 2018
GPU databases bring greater parallelism to big data processing
GPU databases offer a new way to process data. 451 Research analyst James Curtis discusses where they fit in big data applications, particularly for parallel processing. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2018
Qlik readies new Qlik Sense features for cloud, AI, big data
Self-service BI vendor Qlik is beginning to add a promised set of advanced functionality to its Qlik Sense software, but the features will be delivered in stages. Continue Reading
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Answer
25 Apr 2018
Data scientist vs. business analyst: What's the difference?
Data science and business analyst roles differ in that data scientists must deep dive into data and come up with unique business solutions -- but the distinctions don't end there. Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2018
Teradata applies time series analytics tools to IoT data
Data warehouse pioneer Teradata looks to ease IoT data analysis with capabilities that address skills gaps on time series analytics techniques, which are coming more to the fore. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Apr 2018
IT teams take big data security issues into their own hands
Data security needs to be addressed upfront in deployments of big data systems -- and users are likely to find they have to build some security capabilities themselves. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Apr 2018
Information architecture applied to big data streaming, AI
New technologies challenge data professionals, but taking a step back helps with hurdles. In this interview, consultant William McKnight takes a measured look at data streaming, GDPR and AI. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Apr 2018
Cloud workloads, data lakes challenge information architecture
Data management options are expanding; cloud workloads are an example. That means changing your approach to information architecture, says data management expert William McKnight. Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2018
Nvidia, Pure Storage FlashBlade lift 'AIRI' infrastructure
Pure Storage AIRI is AI-ready infrastructure that integrates Pure's all-flash FlashBlade NAND storage blades and four Nvidia DGX-1 artificial intelligence supercomputers. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2018
Oracle Autonomous Database debut heralds new cloud hopes
It wasn't the first in the cloud computing space, but Oracle is all in now. Key to the effort is a new Autonomous Database service, initially available for data warehousing uses. Continue Reading
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Podcast
29 Mar 2018
Kubernetes container orchestration gets big data star turn
The new thing in big data is Kubernetes container orchestration. While it's still early, there are signs of activity, which are cited in this edition of the Talking Data podcast. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Mar 2018
Humans and AI tools go hand in hand in analytics applications
Companies are keeping data analysts and other workers in the loop with AI applications to check the results generated by automated algorithms for accuracy, relevance and missing info. Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2018
£5m Ada Lovelace Institute launched to look into data ethics
Nuffield Foundation announces institute to examine ethical and social issues arising from the use of data, algorithms and artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2018
The Cambridge Analytica case: What’s a data scientist to do?
The Cambridge Analytica controversy has highlighted data ethics issues especially dear to early career stage data scientists Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2018
Cambridge Analytica-Facebook case shows need for ethical data mining
Ethical data collection practices are becoming even more important, as cases like Cambridge Analytica's misuse of Facebook data challenge consumer trust in enterprise analytics. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Mar 2018
Kubernetes gains momentum in big data implementation process
Big data vendors and users are looking to Kubernetes-managed containers to help accelerate deployments and enable more flexible use of computing resources. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Mar 2018
IT, others focus efforts as GDPR implementation date looms
The EU's General Data Protection Regulation is meant to bring better data privacy to bear in the age of big data. How GDPR implementation will proceed remains to be seen. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Mar 2018
Silicon Valley startups home in on pressing value from data
A slew of California-based startup and early-stage data analytics companies are promising CIOs better ways to get value from their investments in databases and analytics Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2018
Streaming tool from StreamSets eyes data in motion for GDPR
StreamSets software for inspecting big data brings governance to data in motion. Such capabilities may find more use as the European Union's GDPR deadline looms. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Mar 2018
Rethinking analytics processes spurs enterprise innovation
By taking a fresh look at the makeup of their analytics organizations, enterprises can innovate their business models and take advantage of digital disruption. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Mar 2018
Diversified data sets for analytics deliver top results
Analytics teams should focus on data diversity to ensure that their projects deliver the most meaningful insights -- but they must be wary of some stumbling blocks. Continue Reading