Why Governments Should Adopt Cloud Computing

Why Governments Need to Adopt Cloud Computing

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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.

Turn Big Data into Big ROI

Turn Big Data into Big ROI

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It may be difficult for businesses to understand the importance of big data for their business, especially when it can be difficult to quantify the ROI (return on investment). However, there’s plenty of evidence to support the idea that companies that use big data see a huge ROI. Just look at this article published by Datanami. A survey was conducted by Teradata and they found that 2/3 of companies reported substantial big data ROI, while 1/3 were still looking for the ROI.

The VP of Product and Servies Marketing for Teradata told Datanami that, “It’s not just, ‘Lets go buy some technology deploy it and it’s great.’ It’s about being able to build data into the DNA of the company, which means you have to deal with people and process and technology, and build a culture to adopt it.” (source). This is an important distinction that companies looking for ROI in big data need to realize. Data analytics isn’t a magic cure-all that’s going to fix all of your problems without effort. Even with a great analytics tool, like Pushgraph ,  companies still need to work with the data and build a culture of data adoption.

While this is a hard topic to quantify, we at Chalklabs believe we’ll be seeing big growth and continued reliance on big data, across industries and uses. This isn’t a quick trend that will fall by the wayside. It’s definitely going to continue growing, and it’s up to companies to stay on top of it and use it to their advantage.

A Big Year for Innovation: What technology Does for USAID

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Ann Mei Chang is the Executive Director of the U.S. Global Development Lab at USAID (U.S. Agency for Internal Development). This special sector of USAID was created last April to heighten awareness toward the application of science and technology for a greater impact in helping end extreme poverty worldwide. There are 9 areas of focus for this mission:

  1. Food security & nutrition modernizing food assistance
  2. Ending preventable child & maternal deaths
  3. Energy access
  4. Water solutions
  5. Child literacy
  6. Financial inclusion
  7. Human rights
  8. Participation & accountability
  9. Humanitarian response

These areas are of top priority to the new lab and can be supplemented by technology. The Center for Data Analysis & Research is composed of team members who are responsible for gathering and analyzing the data from said projects being conducted by USAID. With so much hype surrounding data and analysis now there are many new technology companies designing software and platforms to help extract knowledge from your data.

ChalkLabs has been involved in helping companies innovate with specialized knowledge discovery solutions for years. We provide the expertise and speed of the leading competitors such as SAS,Oracle, and SAP minus the typical large company cost. Featuring true in-memory computing, Pushgraph PaaS exceeds the standard speed and scalability of the biggest names on the market. Monitor millions of real-time events to discover valuable and actionable insights. Find out exactly where funding is being wasted and prevent duplication in programming, research priorities, et. al. Former and current ChalkLabs clients include National Institute of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and even the USDA.

 Free Live Demo

(usaid.gov)

Big Data Can Have a Big Impact on Government

Big Data Can Have a Big Impact on Government

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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.

Big Data & a Big Impact on Government

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By now you may have heard of the Big Data “revolution” that is taking many industries by storm. What you may not realize is how much there is to gain by utilizing information extracted from Big Data to help guide and improve the future of various companies and organizations, such as those within our government.

A great example of an organization which could benefit from Big Data analytics, USAID has its hands full trying to feed the world and provide new and untapped resources to those who live in some of the most difficult places in the world. Right now USAID is working on meeting some very important world goals and every dollar of funding needs to be guided to the right place to make the largest impact. USAID works hard to bring markets for sale of goods and services to those who cannot reach them. This is important work and the money that goes into it affects millions of people all over the globe.

In the 2014 report titled Big Data Seizing Opportunities, Preserving Values,  “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.”

Photo credit- Wired.com and NIST.gov

Photo credit- Wired.com and NIST.gov

So how exactly can we take big benefits from Big Data?

Identifying and removing duplicated projects for large organizations is one of the ways that Pushgraph can help your business save time and money. Uncovering redundant or outdated business operations that can be closed or improved is another. Visual analytics and predictive analysis provide proactive insight into future decision-making. Some government agencies, such as the NIH, USDA, and USAID, are already gaining knowledge and insight by utilizing Big Data. One of these organizations achieved 2083% ROI by using Pushgraph PaaS. With better metrics than all of the leading competition, an easy-to-use interface, and fast deployment time, Pushgraph can save your large organization lots of time (i.e. money).

Pushgraph PaaS is designed to process large amounts of structured or unstructured data at speeds which far surpass that of the some of our competitors (e.g. SAS, SAP, Oracle). 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 most ROI on your investment. Why wait until another year passes?

Design Success with Pinpoint

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Have you ever faced a situation where you attempted to solve a problem but felt the need for a fresh new set of eyes to view the situation in a different light?

Pinpoint can be that fresh set of eyes for you to discover new and improved solutions to your business problems.

This dedicated and professional team located in Portland, OR, was founded in 2005 but already helps many large clients such as Cisco, Nike, and Intel, et. al.

Being experts in design and strategy primarily, Pinpoint can see solutions to your problems that you may have never considered.

Pinpoint takes your business seriously and studies your operations, techniques, and systems inside and out to know your company and customers while strategically finding the answers to your most complicated questions before moving you forward. Journey Mapping is just one such useful service provided.

Pinpoint will research new markets and areas of potential growth to let you know how to best proceed with your business endeavors. Maximizing efficiency and profits are two of the great benefits to using Pinpoint as a business partner.

On another note, have you ever sat down and thought about what it may be like to be one of your own customers? Pinpoint can walk you through the customer’s journey with an orthogonal view of your company.

Overall I think most of us know that a business strategy is just as important as the products or services that you are selling. Let the professionals at Pinpoint show you the way.