Historically speaking, a simple definition of analytics is “the study of analysis.” A more useful, more modern description would suggest “data analytics” is an important tool for gaining business insights and providing tailored responses to customers. Data analytics, sometimes abbreviated to “analytics,” has become increasingly important for organizations of all sizes. The practice of data […]
Big Data at 10: Did Bigger Mean Better?
Click to learn more about author Mathias Golombek. If this time 10 years ago you were working in data and analytics, something was about to happen that would go on to dominate a large part of your professional life. I’m talking about the emergence of “big data.” I recently read that the origins of the concept […]
A Brief History of Data Quality
The term “Data Quality” focuses primarily on the level of accuracy possessed by the data, but also includes other qualities such as accessibility and usefulness. Some data isn’t accurate at all, which, in turn, promotes bad decision-making. Some organizations promote fact checking and Data Governance, and, as a consequence, make decisions that give them an […]
How to Work with Modern Databases
Click to learn more about author Thomas LaRock. Historically, databases were like digital filing cabinets, not sources for marketing information and new business opportunities. Today, we gather data at a seemingly manic pace – and as quickly as it’s collected, it’s analyzed and parsed. As the famous saying from a few years back goes, “Data is […]
Computing: A Human Activity!
Click to learn more about author Thomas Frisendal. I started at the University of Copenhagen in 1969. My professor was Peter Naur. He was in many ways an unusual man and a deep thinker. It is only now in recent years that I realize how much he influenced my thinking. 1969 was his second year […]
Graph Databases: Updates on Their Growing Popularity
Graph databases became recognized as a database design in 2006, when Tim Bernes-Lee developed the concept of a huge database called the “linked data.” This concept became the basis of graph storage, and could display how organizations, people, and items or entities are associated, or “interconnected” with one another, and the nature of the relationships. […]
Database Management Trends in 2020
In 2020, database management will be a mosaic of old and new technologies. Many people have already implemented relational databases or data warehouses — 86.55 percent — according to the recent DATAVERSITY® Trends in Data Management Report. It will not be hard to see why data warehouses will continue heavy usage in 2020. They integrate […]
Confluent Announces ksqlDB – An Event Streaming Database
A recent press release states, “Confluent, Inc., the event streaming platform pioneer, today announced ksqlDB, an event streaming database that seeks to unify the multiple systems involved in stream processing into a single, easy-to-use solution for building event streaming applications. ksqlDB aims to bring the approachable feel of relational databases to the world of stream […]
A Brief History of Non-Relational Databases
First came relational databases, which provide a useful comparison for understanding non-relational databases. Invented by Edgar F. Codd in 1970, the relational database arranges data into different rows and columns by associating a specific key for each row. Almost all relational database systems use Structured Query Language (SQL) and are remarkably complex. They are traditionally […]
Four Database Options for Migrating Applications to the Cloud
Click to learn more about author Jeff Boehm. Independent software vendors (ISVs) are on the front lines of an on-demand market, one in which their customers require immediate and continuous access to services and applications. As such, they are turning to the cloud to support elastic scale, rapid growth expectations, and a “pay as you […]