Cloud-Based Analytics
Cloud-based analytics is a method of analysis which uses cloud computing to extract data from all types of sources and helps organize that data to make it more reliable, condensed, and up-to-date. This data can then be accessed by users on the web through a public or private cloud. Private clouds are used by businesses to service their internal users, and public clouds are used by third-party providers whom sell these services to customers in need (Rouse).
Cloud -based analytics is important because it increases efficiency and provides numerous advantages towards a business. For example, by bringing in large amounts of data and making it reliable for analysis through online applications, it is extremely accessible by all sections of a business – sales, accounting, marketing, strategy, human resources or management. The cloud is also very easy to expand, scale back down, and even update. Yet other servers and analytics platforms can be very expensive to upgrade and at times must be abandoned and replaced with another software (Khanna).
In MIS 2502: Data-Analytics, we have covered topics such as “ETL”, “Pivot Tables”, and “Introduction to Advanced Analytics and R” which are all related to the concept of cloud-based analytics. ETL stands for extract, transform, and load which is exactly what cloud-based analytics does as it extracts data and transforms it into useful data which then gets loaded, stored, and prepared to be analyzed. Pivot tables involve the analysis which tells you what is happening in real time and R involves the data mining which can discover meaningful patterns for the future, both of which cloud-based analysis does for businesses in need.
In practice, this tool was used and in a report in 2015 by “Analytics in the Cloud,” it was revealed that cloud-based analytics has truly minimized infrastructure, implementation, and administrative costs (Herschen).
Bibliography
Abner, Hollie, Rhan Willinson, Andrew McLean, and Barclay2231. “Cloud Based Analytics: A Data First Approach.” Compare the Cloud. N.p., 04 Oct. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.
Beal, Vangie. “Cloud Computing.” What Is Cloud Computing? Webopedia Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.
Henschen, Doug. “10 Cloud Analytics & BI Platforms For Business.” InformationWeek. N.p., 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.
Khanna, Ajay. “Why Cloud Analytics Is Better Analytics.” Data Informed. N.p., 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.
Rouse, Margaret. “Cloud Analytics.” SearchBusinessAnalytics. N.p., May 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.
Rouse, Margaret. “Cloud Computing.” SearchCloudComputing. N.p., Oct. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.