Archive for year: 2015

Big data can be a confusing term, but it’s really just a broad umbrella category for large amounts of information. These data sets can be analyzed to reveal information regarding trends, associations, patterns, behavior, and can even predict future events/behavior.

Big data is used in many sectors from government to health to education, and as our abilities to analyze data grows, so does our understanding of what big data can do for us.

Before any sort of computational analysis was available, humans spent their lives pouring over data and providing research and recommendations to businesses and governments. This may have been accurate (it may not have been), but it certainly wasn’t as useful as it could be.

That’s where big data analysis comes into play. Computing power gives us the ability to mine trillions of data points and compile them into one place. What we do with the data after that is up to us.

If we can mine the data we need, sort through it, and present it visually, we can use the information to predict storms, end disease, improve our cities and transportation, and even search for life on other planets.

We’ve always had access to big data in theory. But now we can actually put that theory into practice and start using the information to make informed decisions for our businesses, health, countries, institutions of learning, and more.

Businesses across the country (and the world) are adopting cloud computing to streamline business and optimize performance and service abilities. Governments, consistently under new pressure to optimize and be efficient, are making the leap, as well, to cloud computing.

For example, The government Cloud-Computing Technology Road Map outlines the policies in place that should work to accelerate Cloud usage among the many sectors of the U.S. government.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is in full support of the outline of “secure and effective adoption of the Cloud-Computing model to reduce costs and improve services,” as quoted off of their website.

While there is certainly an incentive for the government to be more efficient and adaptable, consider how much they stand to save by fully adopting cloud computing. The government is expected to save an estimated seven percent off of the annual I.T. budget. This will occur as the government migrates to the Cloud from on-premise systems.

Accountability, documentation, better decision-making based on fact, protection of the public’s rights, and improvement in operations are all among the benefits seen with Cloud adoption. Savings and efficiency are obvious and well-known up-sides to using the Cloud as well. Visions of triggering innovation in the I.T. sector of the government are in the sights of leaders as they embark upon a brand new age of technology.

If you’re worried about security, don’t be. Wired reports that “The private cloud environments they operate in definitely leverage some of the characteristics of elasticity in those public clouds but they need to be more reliable to handle mission critical workloads. That’s why IDC says that by FY 2014 U.S. Federal government spending on private cloud will be $1.7 billion vs. just $118.3 million on public cloud.”

So how might these benefits be obtained? Amazon Web Services is a well-known provider of GovCloud services which adhere to FedRAMP standards and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). As an AWS gold member, ChalkLabs can host applications in a secure and reliable Cloud provider. Yet data within a Cloud is useless without a platform such as Pushgraph to analyze and visualize the information at hand. Data can then transform into powerful predictive insights, competitive advantages, and substantial savings.

If you’re a follower of data analytics, you’ve probably heard of the Big Data “Revolution” that’s taking many industries by storm. Big Data has been the talk of the town, recently, and it’s for good reason. You may not realize it yet, but there is a lot to gain by utilizing the information extracted from Big Data. That information can be used to guide and improve the future of many companies and organizations, including those within our own government.

Consider, for a moment, USAID, a government organization that works to feed the world’s hungry and provide new and untapped resources to those who live in some of the poorest regions in the world.

Right now, USAID is working on meeting some big goals, and every dollar of funding needs to go to the right place, the right resource, and at the right time to make the biggest impact. USAID works tirelessly to bring goods and services to market for those who cannot reach them. The work that USAID does, impacts millions of people all over the globe.

In 2014, a report titled, “Big Data: Seizing Opportunities, Preserving Values,” posits that “properly implemented Big Data will become a historic driver of progress, helping our nation perpetuate the civic and economic dynamism that has long been its hallmark.”

But how do we take big benefits from big data?
We’ve developed a platform called Pushgraph that can help simplify the process of combing through Big Data, but also the process of reviewing the results and making decisions.

Pushgraph can identify and remove duplicated projects for large organizations. It can uncover redundant or outdated business operations that can be closed or improved. With its visual analytics and predictive analysis, you’ll get proactive insight into future decision-making and trends.

Some government agencies, such as the NIH, USDA, and USAID are already making use of the insights and knowledge that Big Data offers, and these organizations achieved a 2,083% ROI by using Pushgraph PaaS.

Pushgraph PaaS is designed to process large amounts of structured and unstructured data at speeds which far surpass some of our competitors. ChalkLabs’ professionals build your applications on this incredible platform by analyzing and modeling your existing workflows. We are highly experienced in consulting, data management, web development, and are dedicated to ensuring you get the best ROI possible.

We offer better metrics than all of our leading competitors, an easy-to-use interface, and fast deployment time. Pushgraph will save your large organizations time and money.