Getting started on your data analytics journey

The data analytics journey begins with an understanding of use cases and solutions that can help an organization unlock the value of its data. This is the focus of two new Dell resources.

In the course of my work with the Dell data analytics program, I often talk with customers who are focused on extracting value from enormous amounts of data. That was certainly the case at the recent Strata + Hadoop World conference in San Jose. The conference center was filled with people looking for innovative ways to unlock the business value that is embedded in the data they capture from the Internet of Things, social media, their corporate systems and countless diverse sources.

While each organization comes at the problem from different industries, everyone shares the goal of using data analytics to gain business insights and capitalize on the digital transformation that is under way. People understand that their enterprise data warehouses and data lakes hold the keys to achieving closer customer relationships, operational efficiencies and competitive advantages. The question then becomes, “How do you get there?”

This topic is explored in two new Dell resources for organizations looking to capitalize on data for analytics. One of these assets is a white paper that explores how companies in different industries are turning to data analytics, data lakes, and the Apache™ Hadoop® platform for data collection, management and analysis.

In this paper, titled “Leveraging Data Analytics to Gain Competitive Advantage in Your Industry,” we highlight examples of diverse industry-specific and cross-industry uses cases for data analytics solutions. These use cases are based on the collective experiences of Dell and our partners Intel, Cloudera, and Hortonworks.

The second asset is a brochure that drills down into solutions for organizations that are ready to begin their data analytics journeys. This brochure, titled “Power New Possibilities: Solutions for Your Data Analytics Journey,” explains the capabilities and benefits of the Dell options for organizations on this path.

As for those options, Dell has your needs covered no matter where you are in your data analytics journey. These offerings, summarized in the brochure, include solutions for getting started with Hadoop, building a data lake for analytics, extending your analytics capabilities, and enabling and accelerating your journey.

Regardless of the path you’re on, Dell can help your organization move forward with confidence. We can help you gain hands-on experience across many solutions, from initial briefings through a proof of concept and into a full production environment that leverages validated solutions and proven reference architectures.

We can also help you with the essential initial steps of aligning the goals of IT and the business to address a use case that will deliver measureable business value. For example, you might choose a marketing analytics solution that uses predictive modeling to help your sales team target the right customer at the right time. That’s a use case that we’ve put into action at Dell. (Read the case study.)

While different organizations will target different needs, the key is to begin with a use case that will showcase the power of data analytics and generate measurable results — the return on information. From that starting point, you can grow over time into an organization that is truly data-driven and poised for success in the digital economy.

For a closer look at the ways that Dell can help your organization unlock the value of your data, visit Dell.com/BigData.

About the Author: Jean Marie Martini