What you need to know about business intelligence
Business intelligence, like military intelligence, is sometimes jokingly described as being a contradiction in terms. But in fact, in the era of big data and the Internet of things, the potential benefits to be gained from BI are greater than ever.
BI is about turning raw data into useful information for business analysis in order to aid the decision making process. The technology therefore needs to be able to handle large volumes of structured and unstructured data, turning it into reports that are easily understood and deliver insights that can provide businesses with a competitive advantage in the market and help their long-term stability.
What you need to know about predictive analytics
In an era when data is seen as an increasingly valuable commodity, the tools and techniques used to analyze that data gain extra importance.
Historically analysis, even using computers, has been something of a labor intensive task because the raw data needed to be verified and complex models built to process it. But due to the growth of machine learning and data mining techniques we’re now seeing an increase in predictive analysis where machines can take historical and current information and apply it to a model to predict future trends.
What you need to know about service oriented architecture
Service oriented architecture is a principle that allows businesses to manage their IT and business transformation in order to give themselves a competitive edge. It offers benefits including insight into the running of the entire business, seamless integration of systems and the cloud, and linking of front and back office systems.
The World Wide Web Consortium defines SOA as "A set of components which can be invoked, and whose interface descriptions can be published and discovered".
What you need to know about enterprise content management
Thanks to the likes of smartphones, the internet and big data, we now have access to more information in various shapes and sizes than ever before.
In most cases, having more information is a good thing for businesses, but there comes a point where there is simply too much to keep track of. This is especially true in large enterprises, where invoices, word documents, receipts and purchase orders are in abundance and could be needed by anyone at any time.
What you need to know about infrastructure as a service
Like other cloud computing packages, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) delivers virtualized computing resources over a network connection, most commonly the Internet. Infrastructure as a service is an example of the wide range of cloud services now being used by businesses. IaaS packages will vary from organization to organization, but typically involve hardware, storage, servers, as well as system maintenance and security features.
The breadth of services offered by cloud providers often makes IaaS an attractive proposition for businesses that do not have the resources to effectively purchase and maintain their own hardware. Of course, as with other cloud services, IaaS still comes with its risks, so businesses must ensure that they are well versed on the finer details of infrastructure as a service before committing to a contract.
What you need to know about platform as a service
The cloud computing landscape is incredibly diverse with a broad range of vendors each offering their own unique features. One of the best ways to ways to get to grips with this is to break it down into the most prominent cloud models: software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS).
In this post we’ll examine the latter and how modern businesses are using it to gain a competitive advantage.
Cloud sandboxing for DevOps: What you need to know
Sandboxes provide environments for developers and testers to reproduce even the most complex infrastructures, from data centers to public and hybrid clouds.
Sandboxes allow ITOps and dev/test teams to create personalized replicas of production environments with self-service, on-demand environments that can quickly allow even the most complex environments to be created, modeled, orchestrated and deployed -- from physical patch panels to distributed applications. This can rapidly speed up release cycles while drastically lowering cost and reducing risk.
One in three Salesforce professionals want to find a new job
A third of Salesforce professionals probably won't be working at the same company in a year, according to a new report by Salesforce recruitment organization Mason Frank. The report, which the company released at Dreamforce in San Francisco just recently, says 35 per cent of Salesforce professionals admitted the desire to switch, which is five per cent up compared to last year.
They're mostly interested in bigger pay checks (62 percent), but also say this is the best way for them to get a promotion (60 percent). More than half (55 percent) want a fresh challenge, a third (38 percent) say their current employer lacks leadership and vision, and another third (33 percent) say they aren't pleased with their work environment. Another third (32 percent) are interested in working with Salesforce’s latest software and features.
What you need to know about disaster recovery as a service
Historically, disaster recovery was something that only really concerned big businesses. But as cloud adoption is continuing to grow amongst enterprises and small businesses alike and, as competition in the technology industry becomes ever-more intense, it has never been more important to be able to respond to network outages and unplanned downtime.
This is where disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) comes in, providing a failsafe in the event of man-made or natural catastrophes through the replication and hosting of physical or virtual servers by a third-party.
What you need to know about OpenStack
Despite being launched more than five years ago and being supported by high-profile businesses of the likes of IBM, Intel, Yahoo, CERN, Disney, and hundreds of others, OpenStack is not particularly well known in business circles. This is largely because OpenStack is a cloud operating system that works behind the scenes delivering the infrastructure that organizations need to work effectively.
Speed and simplicity are its two main attributes, and since launching the OpenStack project has created thousands of jobs and benefitted countless organizations. With cloud computing continuing to grow in popularity all over the world, it’s vitally important that businesses have a strong understanding of what OpenStack can deliver.
What you need to know about Internet of things
The Internet of things is predicted to revolutionize the way in which we live our lives, with many industry experts tipping it to have the biggest technological impact since cloud computing.
The reason behind such a bold claim is that IoT devices have the potential to be more pervasive than any other form of technology. By embedding Internet connectivity into everyday objects we can open every facet of our lives to technological innovation. In truth, it is impossible to say with certainty what the future impacts of this will be, and there are just as many Internet of things doomsayers as there are enthusiasts.
What you need to know about BYOD
With the rise of smartphone technology, BYOD -- or bring your own device -- certainly cannot be ignored by businesses. Whether they endorse the policy of using personal devices for workplace tasks or not, employees will use the best tools, or those they are most familiar with, to complete tasks, which frequently means using their own smartphone.
Of course, this extends far beyond simply taking work calls. Smartphones in the workplace are now being used to access corporate applications and perhaps more importantly, the data that they contain. Disregarding the mobility benefits of BYOD, this raises a number of security risks that businesses must consider.
What you need to know about hybrid cloud
In terms of industry buzz and discussion, it is unlikely you’ll find a technological concept that’s more popular at the moment than cloud computing. Since it burst on to the scene a few years ago, cloud computing has proven its utility within a huge range of business and consumer markets.
With the flexibility, productivity and cost advantages being delivered by the cloud, it can truly claim to have had a profound impact on the way that we live our lives. However, although "cloud computing" is often spoken about in relatively generalized terminology, it is far from a homogeneous resource.
What you need to know about big data
Big data is another technology buzzword that can sometimes be difficult to pin down. Data, of course, has been around for a long time, long before computers invaded our homes, offices and pockets, so what exactly differentiates ordinary data from big data?
Broadly speaking, big data refers to datasets that can no longer be processed through traditional methods of analysis. This means that setting a minimum boundary for what constitutes big data is extremely difficult, as this value would likely change with each technological development. What is clear, however, is that big data is growing rapidly. The rise of digital technologies, particularly smartphones, has meant that the amount of information that we freely share, knowingly or not, is enormous.
What you need to know about software as a service
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a new distribution model that is rapidly gaining popularity with businesses all over the world. A branch of cloud computing, SaaS lets businesses and consumers lease a particular piece of software from a third-party supplier, who delivers it over a network connection -- most commonly the Internet.
As with other examples of cloud computing, this provides a number of benefits in terms of flexibility, scalability and affordability, which is why it is hardly surprising that many businesses have been willing to embrace SaaS. In fact, global SaaS revenues are expected to grow 21 percent year over year to $106 billion in 2016.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
Regional iGaming Content
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.