Month: August 2017

Tech Terms: Big Data Analytics

Big Data analytics is the process of collecting, organizing and analyzing large sets of data (called Big Data) to discover patterns and other useful information. Big Data analytics can help organizations to better understand the information contained within the data and will also help identify the data that is most important to the business and future business decisions. Analysts working with Big Data typically want the knowledge that comes from analyzing the data.

Big Data Analytics
High-Performance Analytics Required
To analyze such a large volume of data, Big Data analytics is typically performed using specialized software tools and applications for predictive analytics, data mining, text mining, forecasting and data optimization. Collectively these processes are separate but highly integrated functions of high-performance analytics. Using Big Data tools and software enables an organization to process extremely large volumes of data that a business has collected to determine which data is relevant and can be analyzed to drive better business decisions in the future.

The Challenges
For most organizations, Big Data analysis is a challenge. Consider the sheer volume of data and the different formats of the data (both structured and unstructured data) that is collected across the entire organization and the many different ways different types of data can be combined, contrasted and analyzed to find patterns and other useful business information.
The first challenge is in breaking down data silos to access all data an organization stores in different places and often in different systems. A second challenge is in creating platforms that can pull in unstructured data as easily as structured data. This massive volume of data is typically so large that it’s difficult to process using traditional database and software methods.

How Big Data Analytics is Used Today
As the technology that helps an organization to break down data silos and analyze data improves, business can be transformed in all sorts of ways. Today’s advances in analyzing big data allow researchers to decode human DNA in minutes, predict where terrorists plan to attack, determine which gene is mostly likely to be responsible for certain diseases and, of course, which ads you are most likely to respond to on Facebook.

Another example comes from one of the biggest mobile carriers in the world. France’s Orange launched its Data for Development project by releasing subscriber data for customers in the Ivory Coast. The 2.5 billion records, which were made anonymous, included details on calls and text messages exchanged between 5 million users. Researchers accessed the data and sent Orange proposals for how the data could serve as the foundation for development projects to improve public health and safety. Proposed projects included one that showed how to improve public safety by tracking cell phone data to map where people went after emergencies; another showed how to use cellular data for disease containment. (source)

The Benefits of Big Data Analytics
Enterprises are increasingly looking to find actionable insights into their data. Many big data projects originate from the need to answer specific business questions. With the right big data analytics platforms in place, an enterprise can boost sales, increase efficiency, and improve operations, customer service and risk management.

Webopedia parent company, QuinStreet, surveyed 540 enterprise decision-makers involved in big data purchases to learn which business areas companies plan to use Big Data analytics to improve operations. About half of all respondents said they were applying big data analytics to improve customer retention, help with product development and gain a competitive advantage.

Notably, the business area getting the most attention relates to increasing efficiency and optimizing operations. Specifically, 62 percent of respondents said that they use big data analytics to improve speed and reduce complexity.

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Tech Terms: Java

Java is a general purpose, high-level programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. The Java programming language was developed by a small team of engineers, known as the Green Team, who initiated the language in 1991. The language was originally called OAK, and at the time it was designed for handheld devices and set-top boxes. Oak was unsuccessful and in 1995 Sun changed the name to Java and modified the language to take advantage of the burgeoning World Wide Web.

Later, in 2009, Oracle Corporation acquired Sun Microsystems and took ownership of two key Sun software assets: Java and Solaris.

Java Today
Today the Java platform is a commonly used foundation for developing and delivering content on the Web. According to Oracle, there are more than 9 million Java developers worldwide and more than 3 billion mobile phones run Java.

In 2014 one of the most significant changes to the Java language was launched with Java SE 8. Changes included additional functional programming features, parallel processing using streams and improved integration with JavaScript. The 20th anniversary of commercial Java was celebrated in 2015.
Java is an Object-Oriented Language
Java is defined as an object-oriented language similar to C++, but simplified to eliminate language features that cause common programming errors. The source code files (files with a .java extension) are compiled into a format called bytecode (files with a .class extension), which can then be executed by a Java interpreter. Compiled Java code can run on most computers because Java interpreters and runtime environments, known as Java Virtual Machines (VMs), exist for most operating systems, including UNIX, the Macintosh OS, and Windows. Bytecode can also be converted directly into machine language instructions by a just-in-time compiler (JIT). In 2007, most Java technologies were released under the GNU General Public License.

Java on the Web
Java is a general purpose programming language with a number of features that make the language well suited for use on the World Wide Web. Small Java applications are called Java applets and can be downloaded from a Web server and run on your computer by a Java-compatible Web browser.

Applications and websites using Java will not work unless Java is installed on your device. When you download Java, the software contains the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) which is needed to run in a Web browser. A component of the JRE, the Java Plug-in software allows Java applets to run inside various browsers.

Download Java Free

The official website provides links to freely download the latest version of Java. You can use the Oracle Java website to learn more about downloading Java, verify Java is installed on your computer, remove older versions, troubleshoot Java or or report an issue. After installing Java, you will need to restart your Web browser.

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Tips & Tricks: iPhone Search for Photo

Photos automatically identifies places and objects in your pictures, so you can search for them. You can search for beach or dachshunds, for example. Note: your photos will automatically index the first time you search which can take a while depending on how many photos you have. 

Tech Terms: Disk Operating System

(1) Acronym for disk operating system. The term DOS can refer to any operating system, but it is most often used as a shorthand for MS-DOS (Microsoft disk operating system). Originally developed by Microsoft for IBM, MS-DOS was the standard operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers.

The initial versions of DOS were very simple and resembled another operating system called CP/M. Subsequent versions have became increasingly sophisticated as they incorporated features of minicomputer operating systems. However, DOS is still a 16-bit operating system and does not support multiple users or multitasking.

For some time, it has been widely acknowledged that DOS is insufficient for modern computer applications. Microsoft Windows helped alleviate some problems, but still, it sat on top of DOS and relied on DOS for many services. Even Windows 95 sat on top of DOS. Newer operating systems, such as Windows NT and OS/2 Warp, do not rely on DOS to the same extent, although they can execute DOS-based programs. It is expected that as these operating systems gain market share, DOS will eventually disappear. In the meantime, Caldera, Inc. markets a version of DOS called DR-OpenDOSthat extends MS-DOS in significant ways.

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Why Use an IT MSP Benefit 1 of 5

Benefit 1 Time: Gain Time to Focus on Core Business Functions.

People are generally happiest doing what they do best and they get frustrated by distracting tasks that have nothing to do with their essential job functions. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers, marketers, executives, office managers and most everyone else are at their best when they focus on their core competencies. The time and effort spent on figuring out information technology has a very real opportunity cost. Researching solutions, implementing new technology and fixing IT-related problems are extremely inefficient for non-IT professionals. By using an IT managed services provider, internal staff are free to spend time focusing on revenue generating opportunities and the business of the business

Zerofail Southeast is an IT Managed Services Provider (MSP). So what does that mean for you? We provide IT Support Services like, virus removal, computer troubleshooting, server maintenance, etc.

Your IT Concierge for Everything IT.

To learn more contact us today at info@zerofailse.com or 770.396.6000 Option 1.

Tech Terms: Router

(row´ter) (n.) A router is a device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.

Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine the best path for forwarding the packets, and they use protocols such as ICMP to communicate with each other and configure the best route between any two hosts.

Very little filtering of data is done through routers.

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