It’s more than just a passing fad when nearly three-quarters of mainframe users are considering or in the midst of big data projects.
SHARE prides itself on its industry influence and the enduring role it’s played in the mainframe’s development. With that in mind, we’re pleased to announce the results of a survey conducted in partnership with IBM Systems Magazine on trends in big data analytics and System z.
More than 1,900 IT professionals participated in the survey, which sheds light on how the mainframe supports big data analytics.
Forty-seven percent of respondents reported active big data analytics initiatives, with customer-focused projects driving the bulk of the use. Fifty percent said they use big data for customer and market analysis, while 49 percent use it to support customer service.
For many of the respondents, big data analytics are paying off—50 percent said their solution is moderately or very successful, with an additional 24 percent reporting that it’s slightly successful. Nearly 80 percent predict that they’ll see a positive business impact in less than a year.
The report also offered industry-specific snapshots of how some players in the finance, government and insurance agencies are using analytics. One insurance agency is using big data in its analytical models to solve multidimensional problems, while a financial services firm is looking to big data for insights that will increase uptime.
In a companion interview, IBM zEnterprise Big Data & Analytics Offering Manager Paul DiMarzio shared context as to why the need for more real-time analysis makes the mainframe the practical place to conduct the intiatives.
“Clients need to bring the analytics to the data rather than export the data to outside processors,” he said. “It’s a complete reversal of the way things have been over the last 20-odd years. … If you can keep the data in one place, you can get fresh insights from real-time data, allowing your company to be nimble.”
Read the full report and the interview with Paul DiMarzio in IBM Systems Magazine.