Connect with us

E-Business

Oracle Introduces Big Data Infrastructure

Published

on

oracle-logo23.jpg
Kindly share this post

Choosing how to implement your Big Data capabilities is critical; buying a complete solution could reap rewards. Building your own big data capabilities from scratch does seem tempting to many companies.

They see it as a way to tailor the technology to their specific business needs and to give their IT department complete oversight and control of the processes and capabilities.

According to  Mr. Vicky Falconer, Big Data Solutions Lead, Oracle Australia, there is some truth in this, but when it comes down to it, this approach is fraught with challenges that could mean business goals take a long time to be delivered, are only partially met, or aren’t achieved at all.

We’ll explore the challenges of the taking the DIY route with big data and how buying the capabilities packaged together on a pre-built system can overcome them.

Time to value
It’s the age old dilemma for IT departments: How can you do more with less? And this is particularly true when discussing big data, which for many companies is a new set of capabilities.

When tackling big data for the first time, most IT departments will have little experience or expertise to tap into. This makes the task of building capabilities with technology from a range of vendors all the more challenging.

And it’s not just building the infrastructure – it’s also about evaluating, testing, developing, integrating and tuning. This all takes time and, with the added issue of a small knowledge base, will take even longer.

The issue of expertise also applies in the longer-term. It’s likely that the people that worked on building the big data capability will no longer be in the team after a few years. This means the expertise that has been built up has gone when organisations want to evolve what they’re doing with big data.

There may also be a basic lack of resources to devote to the task, meaning the project takes longer to complete, delaying the business benefitsthat big data is meant to deliver — also known as ‘time to value’.

And if there are problems with the implementation of the new technology, this could lead to further complications and delays that will require numerous hours and investment to correct.

For example, poor network performance can often take months to solve when taking the DIY approach, especially when taking into account the multiple vendors involved. With the pre-built approach, a single vendor will take responsibility to track down and fix the issue much more quickly.

For many businesses, the‘buy’ approach will be the better option. By investing in a suite of big data technologies packaged together, either deployed on-premise or via the cloud, companies can address all of the time to value challenges.

The technology is already tested, integrated and optimised for the task, with the vendor providing the expertise and support that may be lacking in the IT department, and which will evolve with the technology.

And while even well thought-out DIY implementations take months to make production-ready, in theory, Oracle’s Big Data Appliance can be up and running on-premise in a matter of hours.

Counting The Pennies
Some organisations may see the DIY approach as a way to save money, as they can seek the best deal for each component of the stack they are building.

This may also be in the belief that they are paying a premium for the work that a vendor puts into packaging the technology for an engineered system.

But, according to research by the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) and commissioned by Oracle, taking the pre-built approach when ramping up your big data capabilities is likely to save you money, and a significant amount at that.

For a medium-sized Hadoop-oriented big data project, ESG found that a pre-built system, like the Oracle Big Data Appliance could be around 45 percent cheaper than the DIY equivalent.

As an example of the savings that a pre-built solution provides, Oracle includes the annual subscription licence for Cloudera Enterprise as part of the fully tested and integrated hardware and software solution, whereas, buying the same Cloudera licence separately would incur an annual fee, increasing overall cost of ownership.

By taking the ‘buy’ approach, Belgian media group De Persgroep was able to deploy its big data project in a mere three months.

The Big Data Appliance also proved to more cost-effective than an internally-built Apache Hadoop cluster, which would have required multiple servers and software licences, as well as greater maintenance resources.

De Persgroep analysed customer behaviour, such as website interactions and payment behaviour, so that it was able to predict subscription churn for its newspaper business with an accuracy of 92 percent.

Future proofing
Such is the speed of development of open source big data technologies, that in order for organisations to continue to be at the cutting edge of big data technologies, they will continually need to re-evaluate and integrate new open source projects whilst delivering enterprise grade platforms and services.

For example, there is currently a move towards the Apache Spark cluster computing framework. This shift means a significant migration and integration activity for Hadoop users to ensure the most relevant technology is being used.

With Cloudera’s distribution for Hadoop coming as part of Oracle’s Big Data Appliance, the technology can be easily and quickly updated as the technology evolves. The testing, integration and support efforts are part of the service that Oracle delivers to its customers.

The cloud-ready nature of Oracle’s capabilities also means that organisation can easily test their big data capabilities in the cloud, and then migrate the services on premise if and when they feel the time is right. In contrast, the DIY approach will make this a hugely complicated and time-consuming process.

Pre-built systems, such as Oracle’s Big Data Appliance or Big Data Cloud Service, avoid many of the issues presented by organisations building their own big data capabilities — while also bringing a host of additional benefits. Building big data systems is not what gives value to businesses — it’s the value gained through the use of analytics. By choosing the pre-built route, businesses can slash the time to value, save money and future proof their capabilities. And by doing so, they will ensure their big data strategies are successful, both now and in the future.

This Big Data article is brought to you by Oracle and Intel®.
Intel® and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Comments

E-Business

OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

Published

on

Kindly share this post

National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.

Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.

Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.

She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.

She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.

According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.

“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.

“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.

“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.

Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.

“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.

“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.

The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.

She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.

“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.

Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.

“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.

She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.

According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.

“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.

“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.

The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.

“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.

“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending