News

News

• February 13, 2017 13 Feb'17

  Enterprise Spark maturity is still a work in progress

  There's no doubt the maturity of Spark development for enterprises has come a long way, but it may still be too 'techy' for some businesses.

• February 06, 2017 06 Feb'17

  Data-driven business models lead the way forward

  Good instincts used to drive successful business strategies, but intuition just can't cut it in the age of big data.

• February 06, 2017 06 Feb'17

  Tools for predictive analytics took a hit in presidential election

  Tools for predictive analytics can help guide decision-making in companies and political campaigns, but the 2016 election showed that emotion is still a powerful factor for voters.

• February 06, 2017 06 Feb'17

  Don't learn lessons on predictive modeling techniques the hard way

  Deploying and using predictive modeling tools without heeding best practices doesn't guarantee analytics success, a fact that many analytics managers and election forecasters know all too well.

• January 11, 2017 11 Jan'17

  Lack of skills remains one of the biggest data science challenges

  Many enterprises are struggling with the complexity of today's big data and data science ecosystem, though they recognize the opportunity of emerging practices.

• December 23, 2016 23 Dec'16

  Not all machine learning and AI projects panned out in 2016

  Artificial intelligence applications were all the rage in 2016, but while some delivered impressive results, others didn't work quite as well as developers planned.

• December 22, 2016 22 Dec'16

  Events of 2016 put strain on predictive analytics algorithms

  The world started to seem like a less predictable place in 2016, and that should throw up caution flags to businesses that heavily leverage predictive analytics models.

• December 21, 2016 21 Dec'16

  Why 2017 is setting up to be the year of GPU chips in deep learning

  GPU technology, once primarily the domain of computer gamers, is getting new legs in systems that run deep learning and AI applications. Experts predict it will be a big part of analytics in 2017.

• November 23, 2016 23 Nov'16

  Business should work with IT to get self-service BI governance right

  Self-service analytics is all about getting IT roadblocks out of the way of the business, but traditional tech teams can still play a useful role in defining and implementing BI data governance best practices.

• November 18, 2016 18 Nov'16

  Data visualization plays an important role in a big data environment

  Enterprises are increasingly putting data visualization tools, like Tableau, at the top of their big data platforms to start making sense out of complex data.

• November 17, 2016 17 Nov'16

  How predictive modeling and forecasting failed to pick election winner

  Nearly all predictive modeling algorithms were way off in picking the winner of the presidential election. What went wrong can strike any predictive analytics project if data scientists and other analysts aren't careful.

• November 16, 2016 16 Nov'16

  Don't let bad data dashboard design crash your reports

  Data dashboard design best practices aren't just about making sure reports look good. They're also closely tied to ensuring dashboards function properly.

• November 14, 2016 14 Nov'16

  Tableau data visualization software to embrace machine learning

  Tableau's BI and data visualization tools have primarily been synonymous with basic analytics, but the company is moving to incorporate more advanced analytics capabilities with deeper functionality.

• November 01, 2016 01 Nov'16

  Cognitive computing applications present new business challenges

  When implementing cognitive software, enterprises need to worry just as much -- if not more -- about the business implications, rather than the technical challenges.

• October 27, 2016 27 Oct'16

  Users still kicking the tires on IBM's cognitive applications

  There's a huge amount of excitement around IBM's cognitive computing tools, but users are still looking for ways to implement them in their businesses.

• October 25, 2016 25 Oct'16

  Pentaho 7.0 update combines data preparation tool with analytics

  Users increasingly want data preparation to be tightly integrated into the analytics process to shorten time to insight, and Pentaho's new 7.0 software release aims to satisfy that need.

• October 13, 2016 13 Oct'16

  IoT data analytics streams into uncharted waters

  In the world of the internet of things, it's one thing to gather mountains of data from an ever-increasing multitude of sensors, appliances, vehicles, smart personal devices and industrial equipment. It's quite another thing to liberate congested ...

• October 06, 2016 06 Oct'16

  Sports data analytics isn't always a slam dunk

  The growing trend of analytics in sports has caused much debate, and even though data-driven decisions can provide some benefits, they're not right for all occasions.

• October 06, 2016 06 Oct'16

  Visualized data aids in building, updating predictive models

  Data scientists at Capital One and BuildingIQ use data visualizations to help guide their efforts in developing, training and modifying predictive models for use in advanced analytics applications.

• September 30, 2016 30 Sep'16

  Users look to real-time streaming to speed up big data analytics

  Real-time data processing and analytics technologies are helping companies find useful information in streams of big data so they can quickly take actions to boost their business operations.

• September 30, 2016 30 Sep'16

  Tableau brings big updates to its popular data visualization tool

  As part of its Tableau 10 release, Tableau has added several new features to the self-service BI and data visualization software in an effort to improve data preparation and deepen analysis.

• September 28, 2016 28 Sep'16

  Advanced analytics tools must align with business needs

  Advanced analytics teams may sometimes be inclined to more academic projects, but the path to true value is ensuring that their work closely aligns with core business needs.

• September 23, 2016 23 Sep'16

  Get your analytics architecture right to support scalable tools

  Analytics teams might prefer to spend their time developing algorithms, but overlooking the importance of analytics infrastructure could cause problems down the road.

• September 14, 2016 14 Sep'16

  SAS enters the arena of open source analytics tools with SAS Viya

  With the release of SAS Viya, which is accessible to open source tools, the company is moving away from its traditional approach of releasing a complete piece of software.

• August 31, 2016 31 Aug'16

  IT consultants eye big data future, predict analytics trends

  Technology consultants and vendor executives share their predictions on likely developments in BI, analytics and big data technologies, and user deployments of them over the next 12 months.

• August 30, 2016 30 Aug'16

  Expert recommends Hadoop for cybersecurity analytics platform

  Businesses are facing unprecedented cybersecurity challenges today, but Hadoop can give enterprises one platform for managing big data and security.

• July 29, 2016 29 Jul'16

  Tableau to broaden data visualization tool with Tableau 10 update

  Tableau is getting set to release the 10th version of its self-service reporting tool, with updates in several key areas intended to silence some of its critics.

• July 08, 2016 08 Jul'16

  Mainstream Hadoop users zero in on business benefits of big data

  Selling business executives on the value of big data analytics applications is becoming a to-do list item for more IT managers who look to deploy Hadoop clusters in their organizations.

• July 07, 2016 07 Jul'16

  Data science as a service provides instant access to analysts

  Data scientists are in high demand, but in such scarce supply that some companies outsource their data for analysis. DataScience Inc. CEO Ian Swanson explains how it works.

• June 21, 2016 21 Jun'16

  Boston's new data chief explains how he plans to leverage CDO job

  The first person to take over the CDO role for the city of Boston is hoping to support existing teams to make government more effective by leveraging data and analytics.

• June 17, 2016 17 Jun'16

  Spark cloud deployments make a lot of sense -- sometimes

  Most commercial distributions of Spark offer a cloud option, and these have been popular with customers. But that doesn't mean cloud Spark platforms make sense for every situation.

• June 15, 2016 15 Jun'16

  Enterprises prize traditional business analytics tools

  While cognitive computing and the internet of things generate a lot of buzz in today's analytics world, surveyed businesses still give priority to traditional BI reporting tools.

• June 10, 2016 10 Jun'16

  Machine learning algorithms set to transform industries

  Now is the time for businesses to think about putting in place machine learning applications to benefit from this hot advanced analytics technology trend.

• May 23, 2016 23 May'16

  Deep learning tools help users dig into advanced analytics data

  Organizations are increasingly looking for ways to capitalize on all of the unstructured data they've been collecting and stashing. Deep learning applications could offer an answer.

• May 06, 2016 06 May'16

  Survey: BI implementation remains top software priority

  You might think that today's IT world is all about big data, but TechTarget's 2016 IT Priorities Survey shows that mainstream BI, analytics and data warehouse software is still a hot commodity.

• April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16

  IBM Watson computer strives for analytics stardom

  After achieving Jeopardy! success in 2011, IBM is trying to boost its Watson cognitive computing system back into the spotlight through acquisitions and by building out its Watson-based commercial products.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  Building data science teams takes skills mix, business focus

  In a panel discussion at Strata + Hadoop World 2016, managers of data science initiatives discussed how to structure and lead teams of data scientists for effective big data analytics.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  MIT forum debates data protection regulations

  In big data analytics, some want stronger data privacy regulations, while others want the government out of the picture.

• March 24, 2016 24 Mar'16

  Fast-and-furious Microsoft BI update brings Excel integration

  New features in Microsoft's cloud BI tool give users a raft of data visualization capabilities, including the ability to analyze Power BI data in Excel.

• February 19, 2016 19 Feb'16

  Gartner shakes up annual ranking of business analytics tools

  This year's Magic Quadrant report from Gartner on business intelligence and analytics platforms reflects a shifting market for BI reporting tools and includes some big changes in its vendor rankings.

• February 12, 2016 12 Feb'16

  Spark a natural fit for IoT data analytics

  IoT big data analytics is needed to make sense of the mountains of data coming from industrial equipment and Spark may be up to the task.

• February 05, 2016 05 Feb'16

  Tech teams stop fighting self-service BI technology, users

  At the 2016 TDWI Executive Summit in Las Vegas, business intelligence managers detailed moves by their organizations to embrace self-service BI tools -- and the benefits that followed.

• February 04, 2016 04 Feb'16

  Sell your CEO on business intelligence software tools

  Convincing executives and other workers to adopt business intelligence software remains surprisingly difficult. If you aren't selling BI's benefits internally, that might be one reason why.

• January 29, 2016 29 Jan'16

  Report highlights growing role for location-mapping software

  A new report from Dresner Advisory Services says businesses see increased value in location intelligence software, but products need to improve.

• January 28, 2016 28 Jan'16

  Data science jobs easy to find, tough to fill

  Data scientist ranks as the top job in America this year, as low supply and high demand mean big money for those who qualify for that emerging IT career.

• January 14, 2016 14 Jan'16

  How a data-driven company was molded by asset protection

  A data-driven company tends to outperform its competitors, but the asset protection process rarely drives continued evolution of analytics capabilities. Grocery chain Weis Markets is the exception.

• December 21, 2015 21 Dec'15

  How BI development can support quick and nimble businesses

  In an excerpt from his book on BI development and delivery, author Greg Steffine explains why it's important to focus BI initiatives on enabling the business to respond quickly and nimbly to situations.

• December 21, 2015 21 Dec'15

  Need for speed in delivering BI capabilities, author says

  Organizational alignment and teams of BI evangelists who are hyper-responsive to user needs are key to improving business intelligence processes, according to author and BI manager Greg Steffine.

• December 16, 2015 16 Dec'15

  Top data analysis software and techniques stories of 2015

  As 2015 comes to an end, it's time to review some of the biggest developments and trends in the world of BI and big data, including how sports teams, hospitals and data-driven executives pushed ahead on analytics.

• December 01, 2015 01 Dec'15

  Survey: BI and big data professionals ahead of peers on pay

  Employees who have BI and big data jobs are feeling pretty good about them, according to TechTarget's 2015 salary survey. High pay and strong job prospects are a couple reasons why.

• November 16, 2015 16 Nov'15

  Programming contest taps analytics to mark endangered whales

  This episode of the 'Talking Data' podcast discussed how machine learning is being applied to whale identification as part of a programming contest.

• November 13, 2015 13 Nov'15

  How predictive analytics in healthcare can lower readmissions

  UPMC and University of Tennessee Medical Center are benefitting from healthcare analytics to reduce their readmission rates. Here's how they're doing it.

• October 30, 2015 30 Oct'15

  Adoption of self-service BI tools requires convincing

  Getting business users to move away from spreadsheets toward dashboards can be challenging, but pays off in the end when departments collaborate more.

• October 28, 2015 28 Oct'15

  Tableau users highlight their best dashboard designs

  Modern data visualization tools offer no shortage of data dashboard design options, but Tableau users said that knowing how to use them effectively is key to dashboard adoption.

• October 22, 2015 22 Oct'15

  Tableau adds Vizable mobile BI app to seek out more users

  Tableau Software's new Vizable tool is a free mobile business intelligence app for iPad users, which was built as a standalone product from the company's namesake BI platform.

• October 14, 2015 14 Oct'15

  Adobe unveils new visual data discovery tool

  There’s a growing number of data discovery tools that emphasize decision support over reporting. Adobe's Analysis Workspace is the latest player.

• October 12, 2015 12 Oct'15

  How The New York Times uses predictive analytics algorithms

  Most print media companies have struggled to make money in the 21st century, but The New York Times is using predictive analytics tools to gain a competitive edge.

• October 08, 2015 08 Oct'15

  Dodging a Data-Driven Debacle

  Volkswagen alerts us to missing ethical thinking in the otherwise powerful concept of data-driven business. Thanks Guys! One of the most intriguing examples of being supremely data-driven came ...

• September 23, 2015 23 Sep'15

  Future BI Could Perfect Labor’s End, Part 4

  It’s indisputable that technology is displacing many of today’s jobs. The question is: what should, or can, we do about it? This series—parts 1, 2 and 3—explores the possible consequences of this ...

• September 22, 2015 22 Sep'15

  Analytics execs reveal how to hire data scientists

  Hiring a data scientist can be a big investment, so businesses need to know how to optimize the process. As a guide, some experienced analytics managers discuss their hiring strategies.

• September 17, 2015 17 Sep'15

  New Hadoop analytics tools promise speed, scalability

  Two new products from Skytree and Arcadia Data want to bring BI and analytics to Hadoop, without sacrificing speed or enterprise scalability.

• August 31, 2015 31 Aug'15

  HP Vertica users put limits on using Hadoop for analytics

  Hadoop is one of the most popular big data technologies. But when it comes to predictive modeling and data visualization, its utility is somewhat limited, users of HP's Vertica system say.

• August 21, 2015 21 Aug'15

  Providers find routes to healthcare data analytics

  The record-keeping systems used by most healthcare providers don't make analyzing the data easy, but some providers are finding a way around these challenges.

• August 18, 2015 18 Aug'15

  Future BI Could Perfect Labor’s End, Part 3

  It’s indisputable that technology is displacing many of today’s jobs. The question is: what should, or can, we do about it? This series explores the possible consequences of this shift and how ...

• August 11, 2015 11 Aug'15

  Future BI Could Perfect Labor’s End, Part 2

  It’s indisputable that technology is displacing many of today’s jobs. The question is: what should, or can, we do about it? This series explores the possible consequences of this shift and how ...

• August 05, 2015 05 Aug'15

  Building predictive models more about value than glamour

  Predictive modeling can help turn high-profile data scientists into public figures. But in business applications, it demands attention to detail, process and, ultimately, business value.

• July 30, 2015 30 Jul'15

  BI reports take off as user adoption rises at DFW airport

  Change is always hard, but at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, giving business users personalized tools helps reduce the stress of completing BI reports in a new way.

• July 28, 2015 28 Jul'15

  CDOs say data accessibility plans should be theirs to lead

  Balancing data access and security in an organization isn't the most glamorous task, but several chief data officers at an MIT conference said it's something CDOs need to take charge of.

• July 24, 2015 24 Jul'15

  Future BI Could Perfect Labor’s End, Part 1

  It’s indisputable that technology is displacing many of today’s jobs. The question is: what should, or can, we do about it? This series explores the possible consequences of this shift and how ...

• July 16, 2015 16 Jul'15

  How one company improved its data literacy

  All smart businesses these days want to be data-driven. With a shortage of knowledgeable workers, getting to that point can be hard -- but the head of BI at online lender Avant is helping it to do so.

• June 30, 2015 30 Jun'15

  Spark analytics applications boosted by built-in libraries

  Apache Spark is about more than just data processing. The software libraries included in the big data platform make it suitable for a variety of analytics applications.

• June 29, 2015 29 Jun'15

  How Boston embraced data analysis methods

  The current mayor of Boston is moving to make data analytics a key part of how city services are run, which is a major departure from his predecessor's approach.

• June 29, 2015 29 Jun'15

  MicroStrategy unveils its new take on self-service analytics

  MicroStrategy has introduced the first major new version of its BI software in six years, and it's playing for self-service customers with the MicroStrategy 10 release -- but with a focus on governance.

• June 29, 2015 29 Jun'15

  Cloud versions of Apache Spark offer simplicity

  Spark Summit 2015 brought announcements that data scientists and other users will soon have two cloud-hosted options to run the big data framework. This podcast takes a deeper look.

• June 26, 2015 26 Jun'15

  Search for analytics skills focuses on traits, not just tech know-how

  Employers may have trouble finding data scientists and other analysts with all the technical skills they want, but some are starting to zero in on general abilities that can lead to analytics success.

• June 24, 2015 24 Jun'15

  Spark big data framework powers speedy analytics

  The Apache Spark engine can be a powerful tool for encouraging big data adoption among front-line workers thanks to its fast processing speeds.

• June 23, 2015 23 Jun'15

  Putting the data governance plan in self-service analytics

  As self-service analytics software becomes more common, users are calling on vendors to beef up governance capabilities.

• June 15, 2015 15 Jun'15

  Databricks pushes its Spark big data platform to the masses

  After nearly a year of limited availability, software vendor Databricks has made its cloud-based version of the Spark processing engine generally available.

• June 13, 2015 13 Jun'15

  Context becomes key

  The need to clarify the context of information is becoming vital as big data and the Internet of Things become ever more important sources in today’s biz-tech ecosystem. Suddenly, it seems, it’s ...

• May 29, 2015 29 May'15

  New reports highlight state of BI reporting tools

  Two new reports from Dresner Advisory Services assess the features that users are looking for in BI tools and which vendors are delivering.

• May 28, 2015 28 May'15

  Multinationals face complications on data analysis strategies

  Varying privacy laws on data collection and analysis in different countries can make unified business intelligence approaches difficult for global companies.

• May 26, 2015 26 May'15

  CEO pushes for data-driven strategy

  Everyone knows executive support for analytics initiatives is important, but CEOs are starting to get behind analytics like never before.

• May 20, 2015 20 May'15

  BI teams cater to users to boost self-service analytics adoption

  Self-service business intelligence and analytics tools require thoughtful deployment plans to get business users to willingly integrate them into operational workflows.

• May 13, 2015 13 May'15

  Predictive analytics techniques aid hospitals that treat data properly

  Hospitals are under pressure to cut costs and to restore patients to good health without readmissions. Predictive analytics can help, but providers need a solid plan for using their data.

• May 08, 2015 08 May'15

  EHR systems holding back healthcare data analytics efforts

  The healthcare industry is going through a period of rapid adoption of electronic health records, but the systems that enable EHRs may be an impediment when it comes to analytics.

• April 29, 2015 29 Apr'15

  Qlik updates its lineup of data visualization software

  BI software vendor Qlik has announced three new or updated products aimed at making it easier for end users to share data, analyses and applications.

• April 27, 2015 27 Apr'15

  SAS releases a trio of advanced analytics tools

  At the company's Global Forum this week, SAS Institute introduced several new and upgraded analytics tools.

• April 16, 2015 16 Apr'15

  Magic Quadrant shows business intelligence and analytics shift, rift

  Gartner's 2015 Magic Quadrant report on business intelligence says more users are gravitating toward decentralized BI platforms -- leaving IT teams trying to catch up on governance.

• April 08, 2015 08 Apr'15

  New data visualization tools unveiled by Tableau, Platfora

  Tableau's latest release looks to speed up visualizations, while Platfora is hoping analytics can shine a light on cybersecurity threats.

• March 25, 2015 25 Mar'15

  Self-service analytics needs strong data architecture foundation

  The adoption of self-service BI and analytics tools continues to grow. But understanding how to support their use is a must -- and that starts with a solid architecture for analytics.

• March 24, 2015 24 Mar'15

  Streaming data systems take big data analytics into real-time realm

  Technologies that support real-time data streaming and analytics aren't for everyone, but they can aid organizations that need to quickly assess large volumes of incoming information.

• March 20, 2015 20 Mar'15

  Relief groups get big helping hand from self-service BI tools

  Fundraising for charitable organizations can be extremely competitive, so some nonprofits are turning to self-service BI to help gain an edge in attracting donors and improving operations.

• March 19, 2015 19 Mar'15

  Data analytics applications let teams call new ticket-pricing plays

  Professional sports teams are increasingly embracing analytics tools to help them implement dynamic pricing strategies designed to enable them to capture as much ticket revenue as possible.

• March 18, 2015 18 Mar'15

  Location analytics helps shipping company map out business route

  GIS data analyst Andy Cain always knew location analytics could help develop deep business insights. Now he has the opportunity to show how as part of an initiative at Con-way Freight.

• March 17, 2015 17 Mar'15

  Cloud data management systems, sports analytics heat up

  In this edition of Talking Data, we discuss why businesses are looking to cloud-based data management systems and how analytics is reshaping sports media.

• March 16, 2015 16 Mar'15

  Data wrangling with panache

  When it comes to externally-sourced data, data scientists are left to pick up the pieces. New tools can help, but let’s also address the deeper issues. Trifacta presented at the Boulder BI Brain ...

• March 05, 2015 05 Mar'15

  Use of analytics in sports media becomes contentious

  Analytics are gaining a high profile in sports media, but some fans and commentators say the stats just aren't what they're looking for.

• March 04, 2015 04 Mar'15

  Optimize your data governance policy to unleash analytics users

  Creating and enforcing data governance policies is a must in self-service BI initiatives, but a collaborative approach can avoid stifling users -- and produce good analytics results.

• March 02, 2015 02 Mar'15

  Respecting Personal Data

  Remember lastminute.com? How is this for their last word on personal data? What’s wrong with the following e-mail I received from @lastminute_com today? “Dear Customer Important information about ...

• February 20, 2015 20 Feb'15

  MIT project reveals way forward for health data analysis

  Health data is notoriously difficult to analyze due to privacy rules, but a new project is showing it can be done.