Mobile Enterprise Solutions Take Off Due to Necessary Connectivity Between Mobile and Traditional Devices

From connections to server infrastructure to total cost of ownership, the article "Apps Mania 3: Managing Change in Enterprise Applications" sums up how to efficiently manage applications after they are in place. 

An agile mindset is necessary for the successful implementation and deployment of apps. The article reminds anyone in the field of the following guidelines:

On-going change is a massive consideration in the management of applications.  As well as mobile device lifecycles, your business needs will inevitably change with time and with the demands of your customers. As a result, careful consideration must be given to the impact of change. Mobile applications should be designed to cope with every changing demand of your customers and of the market. Dynamic flexibility which caters for change is a must for the enterprise applications of fieldworkers.

The most important idea to remember is that mobile apps should not have to be contained to one platform. It is important with increasingly liberal policies regarding devices to ensure apps are compatible with any number of operating systems and devices. The consistency and connectivity between traditional and mobile devices will become something to watch develop as we see mobile enterprise solutions take off.

Megan Feil, March 15, 2012

Keynote Speaker of Strata Conference Divulges Opinions on Big Data

Much of the news regarding big data is produced by vendors--not practitioners, yet. "A Big Data Imperative: Driving Big Action" discusses why so much of the conversation regarding big data focuses on technical aspects such as massively parallel computing and storage systems.

The author of this article recently gave the keynote address at the Strata conference and has some bigger picture ideas about big data's promise. He states:

I believe in the promise of big data and the awesomeness of the insights that can come from it. But that should not come as a surprise. All the way back in 2007, I was evangelizing the value of moving away from the "small data" world of clickstream data to the "bigger data" world of using multiple data sources to make smarter decisions on the web. Clickstream + qualitative data + rigorous statistical analysis of outcomes + deep mining of data from competitive intelligence sources + rapid experiments + more.

Check out the linked video to watch the address. There is enough room within the industry of big data for all related solutions to thrive as companies increasingly need customized strategies. We recommend checking out firms such as PolySpot with strong background knowledge and freedom of tailored options.

Megan Feil, March 15, 2012

Many Markets Within Big Data Industry Vie For Attention

Big data cannot lose its momentum in the press coverage regarding the market's explosive growth and the predicted 16.9 billion industry it is expected to come. "Market for Big Data Getting, Well, Big" reiterates the numbers from IDC but adds to the conversation by way of summarizing recent analytics solutions offered by some top players.

Oracle and SAP have been competing with each other to release the best solution for in-memory analytics. As a refresher, in-memory appliances are huge amounts of RAM that make it possible for business intelligence applications to quickly process data. This is faster than disk-based approaches.

The article states:

In February, Oracle released its in-memory analytics appliance called Exalytics...During the preceding months, Exalytics' pre-release build-up sparked a fight for bragging rights, putting it on a collision course with SAP's HANA platform over Big Data mindshare. The entire episode had a rough-and-tumble air about it -- at least in the normally buttoned-up world of enterprise IT.

Analytics is becoming a huge market--this is clear. We're looking towards agile enterprise search infrastructure to make the biggest impact in this market.

Megan Feil, March 15, 2012 

Enterprise Architecture and Enterprise Search Infrastructure Are Necessary Backbone of a Connected Enterprise

The perception that an organization is fragmented is a common one in the world of business. "Enterprise Architecture Remains an IT-Centric Approach" is one reason for this.

Ovum's recent study shows that the top three roles that enterprise architecture plays within organizations are all IT related. According to the article, business executives are often suspicious of the approach:

They are persistently told that it is an important part of planning future IT-enabled business developments, but find it difficult to relate it to their own objectives and virtually impossible to get a clear answer on where the return on this investment lies. This is a pity, since the aim of enterprise architecture, supported by popular architectural frameworks, is to address an end-to-end view of the business and its operations.

Without the buy-in of upper level management, the tenents of enterprise architecture are difficult to execute. The idea is for the whole enterprise to see the value and benefit directly.

When enterprise architecture is implemented, it should keep an organization on the same page, similar to agile enterprise search infrastructure which breaks down the silos and walls often built up by departments and inconsistencies. 

Megan Feil, March 14, 2012

Big Data Cannot Forget History; Media Should Not Either in Regards to Other Options Besides NoSQL

GigaOM reminds us of the history the media and seems to usually leave out in regards to stories covering big data in "Is Big Data New or Have We Forgotten Its Old Heroes." Marketing experts crafting news releases on PRWeb want their big data solutions to sound like they are tackling a brand new issue. We recognize that big data has been around for decades but it is undeniable that mobility has taken it to a new level.

A specific example the article points to is the hype surrounding NoSQL. Contrary to popular belief it is not the only database management system. Much of the criticism about NoSQL says that it is not strong in enterprise-class management and monitoring protocols, thus creating a high risk factor for mission-critical applications.

The article states:

The zero-to-hero perception of big data neglects the fact that many companies and industries jumped on the big data bandwagon long ago. When the amount and complexity of the data became too much for relational database management systems (RDBMs) to handle, big data pioneers began using somewhat more obscure technologies such as object oriented systems and databases (ODB).

The article continues on to provide three solid examples where lesser-known technologies are handling big data. The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration developed the RailEdge Movement Planner application since they expect rail freight traffic to double by 2020. This application performs analysis of highly complex object models at higher speed than a relational database.

Traveloctiy and the The National Snow and Ice Data Center use other solutions as well. The lesson learned from this article is to keep a critical eye out in regards to big data solutions. Organizations will find the big data solution that works for their constraints and situation if they keep abreadst of all the technology out there.

Megan Feil, March 14, 2012.