Some people predict 2013 will be the year Hadoop becomes mainstream. Such an occurrence will only be possible if the technology trickles down to a broader base of users and lowers many of the barriers to adoption it carries today. A major limitation of big data, after all, is that the technologies used to analyze it are not easy to learn. It doesn't have to be that way, and this research note looks in detail at how components of technologies like Hadoop are finding their way into tools that target less-sophisticated users — from business users to receptionists to high school students. Thanks to cloud-based services, data visualization tools and more, analytics can be made easier, and maybe even fun.…
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Cloud computing infrastructure: 2012 and beyond
Cloud computing continues to change and shape the technology industry, and these days discussions are about more than simply reorganizing the IT department. New developments in chip and hardware architectures, finding greener data centers, regulatory concerns and simplifying data analytics are all discussions currently circling through the industry. For this report, GigaOM Pro has gathered six of its analysts to discuss these topics and others in current cloud market. Here we present several areas to consider when thinking about your business in the cloud.…
Read MoreWhy service providers matter for the future of big data
One major solution to the big data skills shortage has been the emergence of consulting and outsourcing firms specializing in deploying big data systems that companies need in order to actually derive value from their information. These companies will continue to play a vital role in helping the greater corporate world make sense of the mountains of data they are collecting. However, if the current wave of democratizing big data lives up to its ultimate potential, today’s consultants and outsourcers will have to find a way to keep a few steps ahead of the game in order to remain relevant.…
Read MoreInfrastructure Q4: Big data gets bigger and SaaS startups shine
Continuing a yearlong trend, the fourth quarter in big IT was all about big data, and Hadoop in particular. At this point, it seems as if every database, business intelligence and data-integration product in existence has an official Hadoop connector, and as if every startup pushing a Hadoop product can raise a few million just by asking for it. Cloudera alone closed a $40 million round in November.…
Read MoreDissecting the data: 5 issues for our digital future
When it comes to the promise of data as the currency of the web, the current state of affairs has privacy advocates and many consumers up in arms. But it doesn’t have to be the one-sided affair it is today, in which companies have all the data and all the rights, and we shouldn’t have to be afraid of who’s doing what with our information. With laws, products, practices and education, data can become a far more valuable currency than cash ever was. Keeping that in mind, this research note examines five issues that must be addressed by policy makers and entrepreneurs so that they can deliver on our data-driven digital future. Companies mentioned in this report include Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.…
Read MoreInfrastructure Q3: OpenStack and flash step into the spotlight
Last quarter we highlighted the fast maturation of the Platform-as-a-Service and big data spaces. Those two trends only picked up speed during the third quarter of 2011. Joining them on the cusp of IT greatness, though, are the OpenStack project and flash storage.…
Read MoreInfrastructure Q2: Big data and PaaS gain more momentum
Big data and Platform-as-a-Service offerings highlighted the second quarter, suggesting that we can expect to see a shift in enterprise IT practices around application development and analytics very soon.…
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A field guide to cloud computing: current trends, future opportunities
Assuming cloud adoption takes off as data suggests it will, cloud services integration will provide major opportunities for cloud providers and software vendors willing to open up their platforms to the greater cloud ecosystem, as well as for third parties hoping to play the middleman in helping to bring together many different services.…
Read MoreThe Structure 50: The Top 50 Cloud Innovators
In five short years, cloud computing has gone from being a quaint technology to a major catchphrase. Amazon and others are now moving at Internet speed, trying to offer better security, faster networking, more compliance and a host of other products that are attempting to meet the demands of startups, consumers and enterprises alike. On GigaOM's Structure channel, we cover the gear and software that comprises the cloud, the services and the people who are changing the industry. Now for the first time, we’ve decided to condense that knowledge into the Structure 50, a list of the 50 companies that are influencing how the cloud and infrastructure evolves. All of these players, big or small, have people, technology or strategies that will help shape the way the cloud market is developing and where it will eventually end up. Companies mentioned in this report include Amazon, Rackspace, Cloudera, China Telecom and SeaMicro. For a full list of companies, and to see the Structure 50 as one full report, sign up for a free trial.…
Read MoreInfrastructure Q1: IaaS Comes Down to Earth; Big Data Takes Flight
Two things stand out above all else when looking back on the first quarter of 2011: Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), the epitome of cloud computing, came down to Earth, while big data took flight.…
Read MoreDefining Hadoop: the Players, Technologies and Challenges of 2011
Hadoop will continue its trek to mainstream adoption in 2011. Companies of all types and in all geographic regions likely will be advancing or beginning their big data efforts in the coming months and years, and many will benefit from some hand-holding and technological assistance into this brave new world.…
Read MoreA 2011 Infrastructure Forecast
More exciting than examining the previous quarter is looking forward into the next 12 months and using the trends of 2010 to predict the realities that will surface in 2011. Throughout this past December, GigaOM Pro's curators did just that, making trend predictions, pointing out companies to watch and even telling us what not to expect. Former Infrastructure curator Derrick Harris' thoughts, analyses and predictions are compiled here in a single report. Companies mentioned include Amazon, ARM, Facebook, Cloudera, EMC and Oracle. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.…
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