AWS Big Data
This is the second in a series of Visual Connections blogs focused on exploring Amazon Web Services (AWS). Our goal is to share industry insights and help you make knowledgeable decisions as you shift your business to the cloud.
Big Data & Data Analytics
Meets AWS
By: Fred Deese
Visual Connections President & CEO
What Business Owners, Agencies, and Industry Leaders Need to Know
Big data and data analytics are the buzzwords of the moment, but what do these terms mean, and how can your business or agency make the most of them? The field of data analytics and the use of big data are growing fast, and now is the perfect time for your business or agency to take advantage.
Even the smallest business or agency has access to vast amounts of unstructured data from a myriad of sources. Information has value, but much of it has remained untapped until now.
That is where data analytics and the field of big data comes into play. The global nature of the marketplace and the fast pace of business today means that business owners and agencies are bombarded with more data than ever before. Much of this data is unstructured, and the challenge is putting it into a useful and valuable format.
In the modern world, businesses and agencies no longer have to settle for unstructured data. Thanks to data analytics, businesses and agencies can make sense of all that information, separating the signal from the noise and improving their operations as a result.
Data is valuable. Leverage a firm that values and understands your needs, so that your data is captured and used in the right manner.
The Value of Big Data Analytics
There is enormous value in all that data, but it takes an expert to draw it out and make it truly useful. That is why so many smart business owners and agencies choose to outsource their data analysis and big data operations, and why the field of data analytics has been growing so rapidly.
Visual Connections is involved in the data analytics business. We use several processes and tools to turn up the signal and turn down the noise, from specialized software that mines vast stores of data to our scientists who can break down the data and present it in a user-friendly format.
If you are ready to take a step in the direction of big data analytics, it is essential to work with a firm that shares your values and understands your needs. Every business or agency is different and has unique challenges when it comes to analyzing data, and making use of the information the firm gathers every day.
When working with a business analytics or big data firm, it is important to share your goals and your expectations. What do you hope to get out of all the data you collect? Laying out your goals will make the job of the big data analysis firm easier - and provide you with better results.
Data mining can reveal patterns that can lead to profit.
Big Data Mining
You may have heard about data mining and all the great things it can do, but what are the implications for your business or agency? Data mining is used by large corporations, political organizations, government agencies, and even small business owners.
It helps to understand what data mining is and what it is not. In its simplest terms, data mining involves identifying patterns. These patterns are typically not apparent in the unstructured data, but data mining can reveal them and help business owners and agencies see the connections.
Let’s simplify it. You may not realize that your best customers are women in their 40s who live in rural areas, but data mining can find these connections and help you build a solid list of prospects. In essence, data mining takes unstructured information and presents it in a manner that is useful and potentially profitable.
The Power of Co-Related Analytics
Any large set of data is bound to have all kinds of connections, but it is not always easy to tell which connections are valid and which ones are mere coincidences. That is why Visual Connections (VC) carefully uses co-related analytics to fine the data needles in the informational haystack.
Instead of relying on a single set of data, VC examines multiple sources of data, using careful analysis to extract meaningful information. This meaningful information can then be used by our customers to enhance the value of their brand, move more products, and build profits for the future.
Tracking Data Inflow and Authentication
A big part of the big data solution is to authenticate information flow and track it from source to final use. By analyzing vast amounts of data and subjecting it to careful analysis, big data experts can extract useful information, simplifying the process, and helping businesses and agencies maximize their value. During this process, each incoming piece of data is carefully cross-checked and analyzed for validity, and useless information is discarded. This is a vitally important, but often overlooked, part of the data analytics process, and one of the things VC does best.
Authenticating the data can also help businesses and agencies clean up their databases. Maintaining clean databases is vital for all aspects of operations.
So, now that I’ve given you some insight into the benefits of data and data analytics let’s talk about industry tools.
AWS & Data Analytics
When it comes to high-performance, cost-effective, and secure cloud services geared to help businesses and agencies collect, store, process, and analyze big data workloads, our Amazon AWS Big Data consulting services are top-notch.
What exactly is AWS Big Data? AWS Big Data solutions support real-time analytics, predictive analytics, distributed architecture, machine learning, and petabyte-scale data warehouses. Likewise, the beauty lies in the fact that there’s no need to procure, deploy, or manage hardware.
Additionally, with AWS, you can provision more volume and process in a matter of minutes. What does that mean? It means that your big data applications grow and shrink based on demand; therefore, your system operates as close to optimum proficiency as possible.
AWS Big Data processes and controls are continuously audited, are in compliance with 20+ regulations, and offer security in layers. Here are some additional plus factors:
You can easily transfer your data
AWS Big Data has over 50 service solutions
Compatible with six relational DB engines and NoSQL
AWS Big Data solutions support any workload, regardless of scale
Here is a quick list of AWS services available for collecting, processing, storing, and analyzing big data:
Amazon Kinesis
AWS Lambda
Amazon Elastic MapReduce
Amazon Glue
Amazon Machine Learning
Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon Redshift
Amazon Athena
Amazon Elasticsearch Service
Amazon QuickSight
Needless to say, the proficiency of the AWS platform makes it ideal for solving big data problems.
If your firm, business, or agency is not yet taking advantage of big data, now is the perfect time to get started. Big data and data analytics are more important than ever before, and the business applications are only expected to grow. There has never been more or easier access to information, and engaging with an outsourced data analytics firm like Visual Connections will help you make sense of all that data. Businesses and agencies who are looking to get more out of their data practice can rely on Visual Connections as their trusted AWS Big Data advisors.
Blog 2 in this Series
See other blogs in this Series
The AWS Shift: Business Benefits
Fred Deese | Visual Connections President & CEO
After nearly a decade of providing advanced web and application development services to both the private and public sector, Fred Deese founded Visual Connections, an information technology consulting firm, in 2007. As Chief Executive Officer of the company, Fred is focused on new business development, overall company positioning, and client relationships.
Since the company's inception, he has held project management positions on many prominent and complex commercial and government IT projects, personally providing the services that have made Visual Connections widely recognized by its customers for its innovative technologies and quality work. See Full Bio Here