Data Management Buyer's Guide
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Data Management Buyer’s Guide Includes a Category Overview, Top 10 Questions to Ask, Plus, a Capabilities Reference of the Leading 28 Providers for Data Management Solutions \\ Data Management 2017 Buyer’s Guide anagement INTRODUCTION Data Management solutions meet at the intersection of Big Data and business analytics. These tools allow for the ongoing care of vital data so that it may be readily and continually available for analysis – where insights are discovered. Data Management platforms may be seen as mediators between all of the data an organization collects for future use, and a grand organizer that makes tidy analysis possible. Traditionally, Data Integration tools work to load data from disparate sources into the data warehouse so that analysis could take place. While this is still prevalent, many companies are finding that their expanding data volumes are forcing them out of the data warehouse. The sheer volume and velocity of data that has been made available to modern businesses is just too great for legacy solutions to handle. When we talk about volume and velocity, we are discussing the topic of Big Data, a great buzz word, but also a very real concern for organizations that collect data from multiple sources. This expansion in data collection has created a need for dedicated Data Management “In this Guide, platforms. An evolving enterprise solution for organizations to collect data from different sources and encapsulate it all into one medium, organize it, clean it, and there is a solution ensure that it is ready to be analyzed when a business user needs. Data Management for everyone, from tools provide data analysts with the flexibility they need to collect whatever data they small groups to feel could have an impact on the bottom line. The best solutions offer what we like to think of as ‘smart storage’, providing data quality, integrity, and data protection multi-nationals.” capabilities. It’s true that Big Data has helped to create a need for such tools, and as you begin your search, you’ll find that many of the vendors may make little mention of the term ‘Data Management.’ Instead, they may call themselves Big Data providers. While they aren’t actually providing the data, they do offer the management options to assist your organization in dealing with it. In this way, companies can augment their existing data warehouse environment with more modern approaches to dealing with what some see as the ‘data problem.’ As enterprises branch out and start to store more than just transaction data, the Data Lake becomes an integral factor. The key benefit to the Data Lake is that it can store data from many connectors, which provides expanded flexibility to those looking to analyze data in a more broad sense, providing the ability for more in-depth search and discovery. In addition, the Data Lake gives companies the capabilities they need to accommodate more than one type of data and run analysis on it simultaneously. Given the recent surge in data-related disasters as a result of hacks and data breaches, organizations are looking to secure their data with more thorough governance. Many large retailers and governmental organizations have fallen victim to poor Data Management techniques, resulting in catastrophic loss. As regulations grow stricter and compliance mechanisms become more common, organizations will grow increasingly interested in dedicated management tools, ensuring that they are keeping their data in a way that safeguards it from outside influences. These solutions are quite useful in this theatre, in many cases providing vital privacy and protection to act as a barrier. Tim King Editor, Data and Business Intelligence 2 © 2017 | Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA 2 Data Management 2017 Buyer’s Guide anagement 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Selecting a Data Management Solution QUESTION #1 Why do I need a Data Management platform? Too often organizations fall victim to vendor marketing pitches that convince them that their shiny new toy is necessary for deriving insights. Before signing your life away, you’ll want to be sure that dedicated Data Management platform will help you to perform more in-depth analysis. Modern digital businesses are requiring more complex ways to store, protect and automate the processes by which their data is held, and that’s precisely where these technologies come into play. QUESTION #2 What kinds of data do I collect? What are my data sources? After you’ve come to the conclusion that a Data Management platform will be of service, you’ll next need to record all of the sources where your data comes from. This way you can weed out the solutions that don’t immediately fit your needs. If you plan to collect data from a new source in the near future, you’ll want to narrow down your short list of solutions to only the ones that can meet the needs of your organization. There is no perfect tool, so if a specific vendor doesn’t offer a connector to a vital source, simply move on to the next. QUESTION #3 What level of data security do I need? Some vendors offer expansive data protection capabilities inside their “Many providers platforms. Of course, these add-ons come with a price, and it would be offer services helpful to know upfront whether or not securing your stored data is a that ensure priority to the degree that paying for it represents. We think it is, but some organizations like to maintain those protocols in-house. Many certain data solution providers even go a step further, offering services that ensure types remain certain data types remain compliant with ever growing regulations, compliant.” which leads us to our next question. QUESTION #4 Which use cases do I want to focus on? What will the impact look like? In other words, what does the deployment of a Data Management platform help you do differently? Focusing on specific use cases helps to ensure that the implementation of this technology helps move the needle along the desired path. The impact should be measurable in terms of insights gained, but it will also require collaboration amongst users. The expansion of data volumes and velocities should always result in an end goal of expanded business value. 3 © 2017 | Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA 3 Data Management 2017 Buyer’s Guide anagement QUESTION #5 Will a Data Management platform help me maintain compliance? Organizations that place a hefty emphasis on data are increasingly realizing they are not in compliance with industry regulations which advise on how to properly maintain certain data types that include sensitive information. In many cases, companies are flocking to Data Management platforms for this reason, so that they may automate the process of regulatory compliance and ensure that they are following the law. Compliance is vital in any vertical where personal records are shared. Healthcare and government are just two of the major players. If your organization resides in a highly regulated industry, it becomes vital to choose a tool that will help you remain up- to-date. And 5 Questions You Should Ask Your Potential Data Management Solution Provider QUESTION #6 Can your solution integrate all of the data types that I require? As the main hub for all of the data you collect, it is only natural to make sure that any vendor you come in contact with can meet the immediate and future needs of your data environment, whether you require the capture and storage of social media, mobile, website, or real-time streaming Internet of Things data. Be absolutely sure that your desired data types are covered. It doesn’t hurt to think ahead a bit, either, by planning for the projected growth of your company’s data sources. So, be sure to discuss scalability as it relates to your particular situation. QUESTION #7 Does your solution allow ease-of-analysis? This is subjective, and every vendor will surely reply with the same “Any potential answer. However, it’s important to understand how the solution provider plans to supply this. Any tool should make it easy for you to vendor should manage your data and perform analysis when you see fit. Remember, line up with how your organization is one that includes individuals with specific skills, your company so any potential vendor’s way of making Data Management easy already should line up with how your company already operates. Your operates.” definition of easy and theirs could easily veer in different directions, so select a tool that bends to fit your framework, not the other way around. 4 © 2017 | Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA 4 Data Management 2017 Buyer’s Guide anagement QUESTION #8 Does the tools off built-in analysis? Since Data Management is aimed at allowing organizations to dig even deeper into their analytical frameworks, it is only natural that some of the solutions provide their own proprietary analytics tools inside. This boils down to personal preference. Going with a vendor that includes analytics built-in could be a great way to save some money and avoid getting too technical. On the flip side, perhaps you’re already using a business analytics tool you really like, in which case you can deploy a best-of-breed approach. QUESTION #9 Does the solution automate the connection of data from outside sources or does it require the configuration of manual integrations? Similarly to how you asked the vendor about the types of data that their platform supports, you should find out whether or not “You should ask the solution includes pre-built integrations that allow for whether the solution seamless deployment.