ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives

Domo Enables Data Integration, Analytics and AI

Posted by Matt Aslett on 05 March 2025

As enterprises seek to expand and accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) many are finding that longstanding analytics and data challenges are a barrier to success. As was explained in ISG’s State of Generative AI Market Report, AI requires data that is clean, well-organized and compliant with regulatory standards. The need for good data management is by no means new, but the... Read More

Topics: Machine Learning, Analytics, Data, Artificial intelligence, natural language processing

Explore Wide-Column Stores for Database Flexibility

Posted by Matt Aslett on 07 February 2024

I have previously written about the functional evolution and emerging use cases for NoSQL databases, a category of non-relational databases that first emerged 15 or so years ago and are now well established as potential alternatives to relational databases. NoSQL is a term used to describe a variety of databases that fall into four primary functional categories: key-value stores, wide-column... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

Edge and Local Data Processing Growing in Importance

Posted by Matt Aslett on 18 January 2024

Discussion about potential deployment locations for analytics and data workloads is often based on the assumption that, for enterprise workloads, there is a binary choice between on-premises data centers and public cloud. However, the low-latency performance or sovereignty characteristics of a significant and growing proportion of workloads make them better suited to data and analytics processing... Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Data, Digital Technology, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Actian Accelerates Insight with Unified Cloud Data Platform

Posted by Matt Aslett on 10 January 2024

As articulated in Ventana Research’s Data Platforms Buyer’s Guide and DataOps Buyer’s Guide research, the combination of cloud computing and advanced analytics has lowered the cost of storing and processing large volumes of data, accelerating the emergence of new data platform and data operations products that enable organizations to gain operational efficiency and competitive advantage. The... Read More

Topics: Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data

Explorium Facilitates the Use of External Data for Analytics and AI

Posted by Matt Aslett on 03 January 2024

The phrase ‘big data’ may have largely gone out of fashion, but the concept of storing and processing all relevant data continues to be important for enterprises seeking to be more data-driven. Doing so requires analytic data platforms capable of storing and processing data in multiple formats and data models. This will be an important focus for the forthcoming Data Platforms Buyer’s Guide 2024.... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Avoiding the Complexity and Cost of the Modern Data Stack

Posted by Matt Aslett on 19 December 2023

I recently discussed how fashion has a surprisingly significant role to play in the data market as various architectural approaches to data storage and processing take turns enjoying a phase in the limelight. Pendulum swing is a theory of fashion that describes the periodic movement of trends between two extremes, such as short and long hemlines or skinny and baggy/flared trousers. Pendulum swing... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Cloud Computing, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Oracle Evolves Database Services for Generative AI and Multi-Cloud

Posted by Matt Aslett on 13 December 2023

I previously described how Oracle had positioned its database portfolio to address any and all data platform requirements. The caveat to that statement at the time was that any organization wanting to take advantage of the company’s flagship Oracle Autonomous Database could only do so using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) cloud computing service, their own datacenter or a hybrid cloud... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data

Boomi Promotes Business-Focused Integration Modernization

Posted by Matt Aslett on 29 November 2023

I recently articulated some of the reasons why IT teams can fail to deliver on the business requirements for data and analytics projects. This is an age-old and multifaceted problem that is not easily solved. Organizations have a role to play in alleviating the issue by ensuring that their business processes and project planning support a collaborative approach in which business and IT... Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data Governance, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

MongoDB Targets Relational and Generative AI Workloads

Posted by Matt Aslett on 21 November 2023

I previously wrote about how document-database providers have added support for ACID transactions and the SQL query language, making their products increasingly suitable for use as replacements for applications that previously depended on relational databases. Adoption of non-relational NoSQL databases is by no means reliant on displacing incumbent relational databases, and initial adoption is... Read More

Topics: Data

The Key Value of Database Simplicity

Posted by Matt Aslett on 15 November 2023

I have previously written about the functional evolution and emerging use cases for NoSQL databases, a category of non-relational databases that first emerged 15 or so years ago and are now well established as potential alternatives to relational databases. NoSQL is a term used to describe a variety of databases that fall into four primary functional categories: key-value stores, wide-column... Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, Analytics and Data

Snowflake Expands Data Platform with Container Services

Posted by Matt Aslett on 07 November 2023

I previously wrote about the challenge facing distributed SQL database providers to avoid becoming pigeonholed as only being suitable for a niche set of requirements. Factors including performance, reliability, security and scalability provide a focal point for new vendors to differentiate from established providers and get a foot in the door with customer accounts. Expanding and retaining those... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Streaming Data Events, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Vector Search and RAG Improve Trust in Generative AI

Posted by Matt Aslett on 31 October 2023

I previously discussed the trust and accuracy limitations of large language models, suggesting that data and analytics vendors provide guidance about potentially inaccurate results and the risks of creating a misplaced level of trust. In the months that have followed, we are seeing some clarity from these vendors about the approaches organizations can take to increase trust and accuracy when... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, natural language processing, data operations, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data

The Buyers Guide for Data Observability Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by Matt Aslett on 26 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Data Observability Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

Data Observability Buyers Guide: Market Observations

Posted by Matt Aslett on 25 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Data Observability research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. The need to monitor the pipelines and processes in data-processing and analytics environments has driven the emergence of a new category of software: data observability. Inspired by the observability platforms that provide an environment for monitoring... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

Stream and Event Processing Require Real-Time Analytics

Posted by David Menninger on 25 October 2023

In my past perspectives, I’ve written about the evolution from data at rest to data in motion and the fact that you can’t rely on dashboards for real-time analytics. Organizations are becoming more and more event-driven and operating based on streaming data. As well, analytics are becoming more and more intertwined with operations. More than one-fifth of organizations (22%) describe their... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, Streaming Analytics, Streaming Data Events, Analytics and Data

The Buyers Guide for Data Orchestration Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by Matt Aslett on 24 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Data Orchestration Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

Data Orchestration Buyers Guide: Market Observations

Posted by Matt Aslett on 23 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Data Orchestration research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. Data orchestration is a concept that has been growing in popularity in the past five years amid the rise of DataOps, which describes more agile approaches to data integration and data management. Data orchestration provides the capabilities to automate and... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

The Buyers Guide for Data Pipelines Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by Matt Aslett on 20 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Data Pipelines Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

Data Pipelines Buyers Guide: Market Observations

Posted by Matt Aslett on 19 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Data Pipelines research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. The development, testing and deployment of data pipelines is essential to generating intelligence from data. Just as a physical pipeline is used to transport water between turbines, generators and transformers in the generation of hydroelectric power, so data... Read More

Topics: Data, data operations

The Buyers Guide for DataOps Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by Matt Aslett on 18 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 DataOps Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the real-world... Read More

Topics: Data, Data Ops, data operations