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Gartner & Challenges in Big Data

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We all know about the Big Data “revolution” by now. There are vast benefits when using Big Data analytics tools for insight, but with all major technology breakthroughs there will always be challenges to overcome. The following points were found in a recent article by Gartner.com and the information is very helpful. Gartner, “the world’s leading information and technology research and advisory company”, goes over the challenges that companies and individuals are now facing in the world of knowledge discovery, aka Big Data. Information strategy, data analysis, and enterprise information management are all the topics covered that one must address to overcome such hurdles in I.T.

With more than half of the U.S. now using the Cloud, the number of users for a given Cloud platform and the opinions of the professionals ranking said institutions give great insight into the value of a given solution. Amazon Web Services (AWS), a Cloud services provider, meets 92% of the requirements for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) standards and 100% in other areas like security. AWS is the leader in cloud IaaS. As an AWS technology partner, ChalkLabs offers services for the Cloud including the GovCloud for the public sector. Between shifting data to the cloud and turning Big Data into knowledge, companies have their hands full. ChalkLabs specialized and professional team of knowledge discovery experts are here to help you through it all, every step of the way.

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Visit the ChalkLabs website to view our solutions for knowledge discovery and Cloud as well as consultation.

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Benefits of Cloud-Computing Adoption by Government Agencies

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Data within private networks will soon be a thing of the past for United States Government agencies. Cloud adoption is sweeping the nation as the old world of data storage seems to dissipate. The government Cloud-Computing Technology Road Map outlines the policies in place that will hopefully accelerate Cloud usage among the many sectors of our government.

Photo credit- Wired.com and NIST.gov

Photo credit – Cloudtimes.org

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.

Suggestions for policies back in November 2011 were provided by folks from hundreds of organizations and stake holders as well as private experts and CIO’s.

Imagine the flexibility that an estimated seven percent off of the annual I.T. budget will provide the government as a result of Cloud migration 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.

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.  Visit ChalkLabs.com to see who already has a competitive edge via Cloud services and Pushgraph PaaS.

(forbes.com)(wired.com)(nist.gov)(whitehouse.gov)

Who’s Already Benefiting from The Cloud?

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In order to evolve as a country we learn how to make the way we do business more and more efficient everyday. Cloud computing is becoming increasingly important in most areas of business due to the advantage of having important information in a safe place that is also easily accessible to others in your company.

The retail industry is at the top of our list of those who are already using the Cloud. Most of us have experienced by now the speed at which offers are customized and sent to our e-mail in-boxes due to a previous purchase from a website. Products and offers are now being based off of our past purchases and used to provide better insight into our future needs. Efforts to predict the needs of consumers have seemed to increased  thanks to the use of predictive analytics within the Cloud. Retailers are clearly taking advantage of Cloud benefits which show through improved channel operations, marketing, merchandising, and attention to customer service. And why not? Results from the retail industry demonstrate how Cloud-Computing can catapult your company into the future of our technology savvy atmosphere.

Business men and women of the Legal Industry are also pleased to have a better technique for data storage in a safe and secure environment that’s accessible company-wide. In fact nearly 75% of various attorneys claim they will be making use of  a Cloud this year. Reduction of I.T. personnel costs are an added bonus to making the switch from traditional data storage to a Cloud.

Bankers are also one of the first to jump on the band wagon for better productivity and responsiveness to improve customer service. New programs for employee use are being launched country-wide for easy enhancement of current software being used. Designed around the needs of each customer are ways to track effective marketing strategies to better understand what your customers needs are or what they may be in the future according to past data input. A standard level of security and structure within your Cloud Platform can lead to heightened overall competency among bankers as well. Enhancement of business as a whole could be the result of the shift into utilizing Cloud technologies for an array of industries.

Security seems to be the only concern left among the general public but this is only a valid concern if you don’t know the proper standards in security to look for when choosing a company to host your Cloud and provide your company services. Companies such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) are being named the new leaders in Public Cloud Computing because they provide good security and advanced protection for your most relevant company data and information. When you know who has the ability to provide what your company needs to be at it’s best, it may not be such a tough transition into the world of the Cloud for you any longer. (techpageone.dell.com 2014) (hostreview.com 2014) (mashable 2014)image