Tech 10: Wrestling With The Big(ger) Data Challenge

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Big Doings In Big Data

Spending on big data and business analytics products is expected to reach $210 billion by 2020, according to market researcher IDC, up from $150.8 billion in 2017. That growth is fueling a continuous stream of startups in the big data arena as well as pushing established players to maintain a rapid pace of developing and delivering new and updated big data software.

Many of the recent developments in big data technology focus on managing and analyzing huge volumes of data and data that's streaming or operating in realtime. Other advances are designed to provide better connectivity to data spread across multiple sources or make it easier for everyday business users to carry out data analysis tasks.

Here are 10 recently announced new and updated big data software products that the channel should be aware of.

10. TIMESCALEDB 1.0

TimescaleDB is an open-source, time-series database that’s capable of handling huge volumes of machine-generated data, ingesting millions of data points per second, scaling up to tens of terabytes of data and tables with hundreds of billions of rows, and processing complex queries faster than other time-series databases. The database natively supports full SQL and is packaged as a Postgres extension, allowing it to work with Postgres tooling and other elements of the Postgres ecosystem.

9. SQREAM DB V3.0

SQream launched a new release of its SQream DB GPU-accelerated data warehouse system with double the data load speeds of earlier versions and query speeds up to 15 times faster. The SQream database is designed to process and analyze huge datasets, supporting terabytes and even petabytes of data. Other enhancements in the 3.0 edition include dynamic workload management for resource workflow prioritization and a highly optimized Spark connector. SQream now offers the database as a Docker container image for easier deployment and upgrades.

8. NAVEEGO COMPLETE DATA ACCURACY PLATFORM 2.0

Data quality and master data management software developer Naveego debuted Complete Data Accuracy Platform 2.0, a new edition of its data quality software that allows organizations to proactively transform data into actionable information assets across multiple ERP and CRM applications, master data management systems, clickstreams, IoT sensor data, streaming data and social media. The software uses API connections to connect data agnostically wherever it resides without the need for infrastructure changes.

7. MAGNITUDE SOFTWARE MAGNITUDE GATEWAY

Magnitude Software’s new Magnitude Gateway is a universal data connectivity platform that provides immediate access to operational and analytical data wherever it resides. The software currently supports up to 100 data sources through the use of universal drivers that connect to relational databases, big data systems, Software-as-a-Service applications and NoSQL databases. The system makes it possible for business users to access multiple data sources using Magnitude Gateway’s self-service capabilities. It also assists ISVs that develop business analytics and data source integration software to get to market faster by providing pre-built data connectivity.

6. LOGI ANALYTICS LOGI PREDICT

Logi Predict is Logi Analytics’ new predictive analytics software that is specifically designed to be embedded in applications. The technology makes it possible for product managers and developers to build machinelearning and artificial intelligence capabilities into applications for such tasks as reducing customer churn, detecting fraudulent activities, targeting customers with promotions and reducing machine downtime. The software simplifies the process of creating predictive models without the need for expertise in R, Python or statistical modeling.

5. INFORMATION BUILDERS WEBFOCUS

The new edition of Information Builders’ WebFocus business intelligence and analytics platform offers expanded content development and collaboration capabilities and ease-of-use enhancements for business users. Its user-friendly interface, easier functionality and improved workflow and collaboration features provide business users with more ability to create and personalize data visualizations, charts, graphs and infographics and manage those analytical assets using the WebFocus Designer software.

4. HORTONWORKS STREAMS MESSAGING MANAGER/DATAFLOW 3.2

Big data platform developer Hortonworks unveiled Streams Messaging Manager, an open-source operational monitoring and management tool that provides end-to-end visibility in enterprise Kafka environments. The software, which is part of the Hortonworks DataPlane Service, helps organizations troubleshoot and optimize Kafka systems, analyze stream dynamics and maintain data lineage across multiple Kafka operations. Hortonworks also launched DataFlow 3.2, a new release of the streaming analytics platform with improved performance and operational simplicity.

3. DATA ARTISANS STREAMING LEDGER

Data Artisans’ new Streaming Ledger software makes it possible to process serializable ACID—atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability—transactions using streaming data. Until now it has been difficult to apply ACID standards, which guarantee data integrity in distributed transactions, to streaming data processing. Streaming Ledger, part of the new River Edition of the Data Artisans platform, makes possible serializable transactions across multiple tables and rows and data streams.

2. COUCHBASE SERVER 6.0

The new release of the Couchbase Server “engagement database,” core of the Couchbase Data Platform, delivers new analytics services that help organizations derive immediate, real-time insight from operational data. The software’s “NoETL for NoSQL” capability processes JSON data in its natural state without transformation or schema redesign. And the product provides the first commercial implementation of the SQL++ language in N1QL for analytics.

1. ALTERYX VISUALYTICS

Visualytics is a new real-time, interactive visualization tool included in the latest release (2018.3) of Alteryx’s analytics platform. Visualytics enhances the way that analysts and data scientists see and interact with data throughout Alteryx system workflows. Inline Visualytics is used by data scientists to maximize the effectiveness of their business models while analysts use the new Alteryx Insight Tool to create interactive dashboards. And the new Interactive Chart Tool lets users create Visualytics outputs, such as interactive charts and graphs, that can be shared.