Big Data Analytics Technologies and Platforms in 2020
Data has come to play a huge role in marketing as well as other business goals, savvy businesses need to learn how to use Big Data Analytics for business growth.
We are already living in a world where data is increasing fast requiring the need for big data analytics. Client data is the center of factual decision-making in marketing companies and many other businesses. But the marketing sector is not the only beneficiary of data. Any organization, including government organizations, uses big data analytics to make decisions.
Raw data is not of much help unless it is sorted and analyzed using the right technologies and platforms. If you are a marketer, you probably know the importance of using powerful customer big data analytics software or platforms. They access both internal and external databases, manipulate data, and present it in easy-to-understand reports. In return, both marketers and the management teams use this data to make their decisions.
That said, it is time to tell you about the popular big data analytics and technology platforms that you can consider. Read on to learn more.
Distributed Storage
Today, it is becoming popular for data to be handled by many servers. Since they function as a unit, they execute the analytics processes quickly when the right tools are used. Most organizations prefer to store their data in networked servers so that information can be spread between different nodes for speed of analytics, the safety of the data, and convenience.
Even most public databases with free licenses prefer distributed storage in different data centers to handle large amounts of data and accommodate many users at the same time.
Stream Analytics
Data can also be stored in different servers with each using a different format. In such a case, streaming technology comes in handy when filtering and analysis of such data are necessary. The good thing is that it can be imported to devices such as hard disks and flash drives when the users need to use it elsewhere.
Any company from creative design agencies to health organizations can rely on this data platform; both small companies and large ones benefit greatly. This is mainly because these platforms work well with different analytic tools including the free ones.
Predictive Analytics
Any business and organization can take advantage of a predictive analytics tool to understand the customer segment, general market, and competitors. Government bodies and NGOs also use this technology to understand the future and plan well.
Predictive analytics tools rely on past and present data particularly by monitoring trends. They give guidelines to marketers and the management of organizations to plan for the future and create possible solutions for predicted challenges.
Knowledge Discovery Technology
These tools are good at mining data and analyzing it to develop logical conclusions. Website marketing companies and departments all over the world can make use of these tools to understand their customers. The good thing is that knowledge discovery tools can mine and process data from different sources such as internal and external databases.
With an API or any other system, this analytics data platform becomes powerful and informative. Every decision is backed with detailed reports. Hence, it is highly recommended for companies to implement these to succeed in their operations.
Data Integration Platforms
Collecting bits of data into one unified data file is not simple for many organizations. They need smart technology such as data integration tools that use algorithms that tie certain parameters to a single subject. Once the data is collected from different sources, it is easy to analyze it into logical files and reports.
The most common processes that are performed include cleansing and mapping, and the results are amazing. Again, marketers and management in different organizations can use this technology to make decisions, initiate growth, and perform many other operations.
Data Virtualization Platforms
As technology is advancing, experts are creating reliable platforms such as this one. Data virtualization is an amazing technology where data is accessed and analyzed without the need to verify it with technical information such as inputting its original location, date of collection, and so forth.
Apache Hadoop uses this technology, which has resulted in fast access to any data in both internal and external databases. It sounds complicated, but many organizations that want real-time data results have already embraced this technology. It is working very well for them. If you are interested in using this technology, you might need technical skills that can be easily acquired through training by data experts during installation.
NoSQL Platforms
Since as early as the 60s, NoSQL has existed and proved to be a reliable way of managing both marketing data and any other data used in an organization or business. There has been a revolution to accommodate big data and still perform efficiently.
NoSQL stores scalable data in a number of storage nodes. With this, it is easy to store and retrieve data fast and efficiently. The common documents you will find in these platforms include graphs, key-value, and wide-column.
How to Choose the Best Big Data Analytics Platforms
With all that we have discussed above, it can be an uphill task to know the best technology or platform to choose. The marketing teams and management are the main users of big data analytics tools and technologies today.
Before choosing one, you must know your company’s needs, particularly marketing-related needs. This includes the market segment, marketing strategies that you are using, and the like. This will guide you on the type of data you need to access and the best way to analyze it. As you know, the data source matters.
The amount of data you intend to analyze plays a role in decision-making as well. There are some platforms that handle a small amount of data better than others. And there are those that are made for big data and can even manipulate it and report in real time.
Lastly, you have to consider the budget. Some of these data analytics technologies and platforms are quite expensive and not suitable for companies with small budgets. However, these companies can utilize free or affordable platforms and still achieve similar or better results.
Conclusion
With all this information at your fingertips, you will be ready to take your company or organization to the next level. As mentioned, these platforms are most useful in marketing but also are important in making other decisions. Try the most appropriate today.
