Thursday, August 23, 2012

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Six Steps to a Big Data Plan

Managing big data is a big project requiring planning and control. In this article, the author sets out six steps to making a big data plan a reality. They include:

1.Identify missing pieces, whether they be tools or data.

2. Understand the data you have and the data you need.
3. Know what you're trying to accomplish.
4. Find and hire data scientists .
5. Understand speed, manage expectations.
6. Check with end users.


Check it out.

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Financial Applications in the Cloud

Although the cloud has swept the wave of IT systems in recent years, the core financial applications that companies depend on for their meat and potatoes reports and that contain a lot of their most sensitive data from a competitive viewpoint have been slow to move to the cloud. The reason seems to be heavily based on security concerns. The fact is, sometimes security in the cloud can be better than security in conventional corporate systems, but top management is not always aware of this. In fairness, the quality of security does vary.

Another main reason companies cite for not moving their core financial applications to the cloud is the compliance burden, which is related to the security issue but broader.

Large vendors like Oracle and SAP are not deterred by the reluctance shown to date. Both have introduced cloud ready offerings recently, including Oracle Fusion Financials and SAP Financials on Demand. They obviously feel that the concerns can be met. This article explains.

Friday, August 03, 2012

Cell Phones Tell More Than You Think

A study recently released at the University of California in Berkeley, CA has drawn attention to how little people know about their privacy on cell phones. Many people don't know that the police can seize and search them without warrant and even use them to emulate you, that location based advertising is already being used, which means that your location is being tracked, and that some apps use your address book to contact your friends. The study points to a need for greater public awareness as well as a need to review some of the applicable legislation and update it to reflect today's realities. For a summary of the study and a link to the study itself, check out this link.