05.25.14
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Essential Core Data is Better Managed Through Master Data Management Strategies

Master Data is the core data that is essential to all businesses, regardless of size or industry. Recognizing how important master data is to operations, many businesses are moving towards Master Data Management (MDM) models to ensure their master data is persistently healthy. These models include content consolidation, master data harmonization, policies, standards, tools, and more.  Examples of the more commonly governed master data include customers, materials, and vendors.

Master Data Management SupportComputer Weekly states that choosing master data management (MDM) software differs from selecting other technologies for managing enterprise data. “Technology choice in MDM should be governed by a well-structured process.” Andy Hayler, CEO of London-based analyst firm said. Buyers need to look at the technical constraints of their own IT environment and identify their MDM requirements in some depth. “Maybe for your company certain features are really important,” he said. “Maybe you have got very high volumes of data, or maybe hierarchy management is more complex for you.”

IBM, with its InfoSphere MDM, for example, manages master data for single or multiple domains – customers, patients, citizens, suppliers, locations, products, services offerings, accounts & more. However, Microsoft’s entry into the MDM market, though it is likely to take a number of years, could put pricing pressure on its competitors as Microsoft targets mid-sized companies with lower-cost MDM products.

John Radcliffe, an analyst with Gartner said “Most MDM vendors are also more focused on supporting operational and transactional environments – think call centers and warehouse floors – but some are optimized to support business intelligence (BI) and other analytical use cases”. After identifying a clear vision for the master data program, organizations need to create a strategy. This means considering the available resources and understanding the amount of time and money involved in executing an MDM plan. 

Data within your company is critical, as shown by the development of more sophisticated technologies, such as MDM, to manage the second most critical asset in any company – second only to the employees themselves. Backup and Recovery of that Data is also critical to protect this important asset. As the data and its management becomes more sophisticated, so do the backup and recovery procedures.

The IT staff is stretched thin with the design, management and support of data models within the organization. The requirements of the sophisticated data backup design and execution can be outsourced to take that pressure off the IT staff and allow them to focus on internal critical initiatives. Consider Managed Service Providers, such as Salvus Data Consultants, that specialize in all modern Data Backup/Recovery methods for this very critical need.

04.28.14
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The SMB’s Perspective of Data Backup from a Managed Service Provider

SMBs are implementing Big Data strategies to stay competitive in a global market. Interestingly, the SMB is able to react to, and be more successful in, adopting new technologies than their big company competitors.

The SMB has a more simple corporate structure. This enables employees to make decisions and act quickly without bureaucratic toll gates, as larger companies have. The SMB also does not have the culture that often answers questions that arise from new ideas with ” we tried that and it did not work.” This agility gives the SMB an edge through accelerated innovation. redphone

With the implementation of Big Data comes the need for sophisticated Data Backup and Recovery procedures. Although the SMB is nimble, the SMB also has the challenge of a limited IT staff. The old method of passing the responsibility of Backup and Recovery to the newest and most junior IT staff person is no longer an option when mission-critical data is now in a combination of structured and unstructured complex formats. The need for a comprehensive data backup strategy becomes more critical to the business, while the implementation of that strategy becomes more complex.

The SMB will look to the cloud for an answer to their backup needs. However, as Spiceworks reports on “How SMB’s are backing up“, 28% of the SMBs that are avoiding the cloud are avoiding it because they perceive a lack of control of data/security issues. This concern generally comes from the understanding that remote backup processes provided by an MSP require the data to leave the SMB’s network.

This is not necessarily the case. Salvus Data Consultants is a Data Backup/Recovery Managed Service Provider that does not require the data to leave the customer’s network unless the SMB wants the data to be stored offsite. The data can remain within the customer’s network or deployed off site at the customer’s chosen location, while the processes are managed in the cloud.

The benefit gained by deploying the data backup processes in the cloud is having the management of the data backup and recovery performed and scheduled remotely by data consultants that specialize in this field. An additional benefit is to remove the burden from the already stretched IT staff. This addresses the concern that holds back an SMB from proceeding with using an MSP Cloud solution to implement comprehensive BIG Data Backup/Recover processes. 

04.08.14
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Big Data Growth Drives Backup Requirements

Managing Big Data is a matter of cutting Macro data into Micro data slices. The large amounts of unstructured data need to be reduced to a view depicting each customer and prospect. When this occurs, the data is transformed into valuable market information that can help drive profits through targeted campaigns and company initiatives.
Evaluating data

Truaxis Insights states that organizations with successful implementation of advanced analytics see 33% more revenue growth and 12X more profit growth.

When looking at the retail industry some obstacles standing in front of full implementation have been that 80% of a retailer company’s data is unstructured according to Truaxis. Unstructured data is difficult to manage and interpret. Over half of the retailers are flooded with more data than they can handle.

While managing and analyzing the data is a challenge, ensuring the integrity of the data is also a factor that cannot be ignored. This data is mission-critical.

A Big Data implementation presents a need for even more focus on the ability to recover from a catastrophic event quickly. However, the IT staff is not often staffed or tooled to design and execute a backup strategy of this level of complexity.  The other consideration is that data backup and recovery can be managed remotely without having the live data be transferred to or running in a cloud environment.

There are Data Backup/Recovery Managed Service Providers (DB/R MSP) that provide remote management of the Backup process, along with professional Disaster Backup and Recovery consultation. A company should look to a service provider that specializes in complex backup strategies while leaving the IT staff time to manage the daily tactical and long-term strategic activities.