Author: Justin Hesser

The effects of big data are being felt by individuals throughout their respective organizations, from the highest executives to entry-level end users. The former, however, are experiencing the biggest impact because their pertinent business decisions are being fueled by the information their company processes on a daily basis.

This is the subject of the upcoming MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, taking place on the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus later this month. Recently, Erik Brynjolfsson, an MIT professor and moderator of the upcoming event, spoke with the online publication Tech Target and shared his thoughts on big data and how it's affecting business executives in 2013. 

"In particular, the availability of data is making it possible for managers to make much more data-driven decisions, instead of relying on instinct and gut feel," Brynjolfsson said. "Now we are finally beginning to have really good measures of what's going on with our customers, with our employees, with our suppliers, with our business processes, with the products and services we sell. With really good data comes the opportunity to make more data-driven decision making – and it is already delivering results."

He went on to say that according to their research, companies that use data to drive their processes are 5 percent more productive than their competitors and 6 percent more profitable. In short, decisions backed by data tend to be smarter and lead to better results.

Of course, obtaining data is only the start. It has to be processed and viewed in a way that allows for smart decisions to be made in a timely manner. FileMaker helps with this process because it allows organizations to build effective custom database software systems, which will give them a clear view of their information and help them understand how to use it. 

The advantages of building mobile business solutions have been discussed at great length in this blog, but much of the benefits of implementing a mobile strategy have been geared toward those who conduct business on the go. The ability to process information and build reports during the course of a business road trip, for example, is a strong driver of mobile adoption. However, while this benefit will always attract companies to go this route, there are many advantages that can be felt in-house.

FileMaker recently published a study that found that 59 percent of respondents connect their mobile devices to their company’s wireless networks and servers. These individuals are using their gadgets – whether they are deployed by the organization or brought from home as part of a BYOD strategy – inside the walls of the facility as a way to automate internal processes.

Ryan Rosenberg, vice president of marketing and services for FileMaker, Inc., released a statement in which he referred to those who use mobility inside the office as productivity warriors and indicated that they are fueling the rise in these devices in the business market.

“The next wave of business mobility, fuelled by iPad and iPhone-equipped ‘productivity warriors,’ is delivering real ROI by automating processes in the building and on the company campus,” Rosenberg said. “Of course we see many traditional road warriors using FileMaker, but we were surprised to find how much use was actually occurring inside the building. We were also impressed at how frequently businesses are replacing paper-based processes with iPads and iPhones, thus automating areas of their business not practical before.”

FileMaker can help with custom application development so those who use their devices in the office can improve the way they manage data and improve their own processes.

Since the advent of big data as a common business issue and cloud computing as a data management solution, there has been much chatter about both. Some of the more traditionally-minded professionals have suggested that the cloud is an inadequate information management solution because it lacks the level of security businesses need. Those fears can be put aside.

An article in Smart Businesses titled "How holding to cloud hosting and data management myths could cost you" addresses this very issue and emphatically states that many of the fears about cloud computing are unfounded. 

"Cloud infrastructure is at least as secure and possibly more secure than the dedicated servers many companies are currently using," writes Ryan Niddel, the article's author. "The hardware virtualization architecture used in cloud hosting keeps systems working through redundancy, which means utilizing multiple servers to back up clients' data. And the transition from one environment to another happens with no perceived interruption in service."

Essentially, the nature of hosting data in the cloud is what will inevitably protect it from a security breach. This means that when organizations are finding ways to manage information, perhaps by creating a custom database software system, hosting that solution in the cloud will go a long way toward keeping information safe. 

FileMaker is a perfect development solution for businesses looking for smart ways to store and manage their data. Not only will they be able to build an effective application that can help view and report on information in real-time, the ability to host this system in the cloud will provide extra layers of efficiency. And, despite traditional thought, users managing this system in the cloud can rest assured knowing their data is safe and secure. 

On Thursday, May 16, our own Tim Neudecker is set to give two presentations in the Boston area on the subject of FileMaker development and the maintenance of FileMaker-based solutions. Leading off is a discussion with the Boston-Area FileMaker Development Association (BAFDA). Following that will be a speaking engagement with a joint session of the MIT/Harvard FileMaker Developer groups. 

These presentations are a part of Kyo Logic's effort to share ideas and increase each attendee's knowledge about FileMaker and software development as a whole. There are many smart and enthusiastic individuals in Boston and the surrounding area, and a number of them are interested in FileMaker and its features. Tim's speaking event is an opportunity to promote this kind of enthusiasm and present eager learners with an opportunity to walk away with greater knowledge about their applications.

We are always thrilled to partake in situations such as this. As an organization, we are proud to share our experience, enthusiasm and expertise about all topics pertaining to FileMaker development. It's this kind of passion that allowed us to win the 2003 FileMaker Inc excellence award for our support for the developer community. We have continued this level of commitment for the past 10 years and have taken it upon ourselves to encourage other individuals to get on board with FileMaker development and learn the skills needed to ensure they have created and are using a terrific application. 

The topic of this discussion will be virtual lists, where we will explore what they are and why they should be used. We hope each individual in attendance walks away with a better understanding of virtual lists and can go ahead and use that knowledge to improve the way they report and export information in FileMaker Pro. 

In addition to sharing our own knowledge, one of the best perks from these kinds of events is the information we take back from these speaking engagements. In a recent statement, Tim Neudecker expressed his own eagerness to learn just as much from the audience as they will learn from him. 

"I am looking forward to my visit with the Boston area FileMaker developers, I always learn new things from them when I present there," he said. 

BAFDA is a collection of FileMaker professionals around the New England area who come together to share ideas and discuss topics that interest them – some pertaining to FileMaker development and some not. They are a group of individuals who have shown tremendous passion when it comes to using FileMaker for custom application development. Building beautiful database software systems is something that each and every attendee is excited to talk about, so we are thrilled to join in on the conversation.

On the other side of the Charles River, the MIT and Harvard FileMaker developer groups represent incredibly smart and talented individuals who understand the value in FileMaker development and have grown to become passionate about the software and just what it can do to help create new applications. We expect a large number of young and energetic individuals at this event, a group of people that our CTO is excited to talk with.

About Kyo Logic

Based out of Westport, Connecticut, Kyo Logic has been providing the Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts areas with FileMaker development and support since 2002. Kyo's commitment to finding the best possible solution for every FileMaker user, in addition to taking an active leadership role in the developer community, is what sets it apart from the competition. 

For more information, contact Tim Neudecker at 845-279-8108 or tim@kyologic.com

Productivity is the key to business profitability. When it comes down to it, companies need their employees to do the jobs they are assigned to and for everyone to work as a cohesive unit. However, in an increasingly technical workspace, that’s becoming harder for many companies, as any failures pertaining to hardware or software must be addressed. Often, smaller organizations lack the personnel to manage these issues with licensed professionals.

If a server should shut down or a backup fails and information is lost, any company without an IT staffer onsite has limited options. Typically, the individual in the office with the most computer knowledge is asked to perform the task, which certainly isn’t an ideal solution.

Not only is the person tasked with solving the problem likely untrained in whatever they are doing, they also aren’t doing their actual job, at least at that moment, so the company suffers greatly. A recent study covered this scenario and found that businesses lose up to $24 million each year in productivity as a result.

“Many small businesses do not have the budget for formal IT support, so they rely on the company’s most tech-savvy individual to manage their technology,” said Andy Bose, CEO of AMI-Partners, the organization that conducted the survey.

Many issues like this relate to lost information. Businesses obtain complex hardware and software solutions that they are unequipped to manage and, as a result, data becomes lost. Instead, organizations should simplify the process with a database software system that’s both user-friendly and accessible from a multitude of places. This alleviates the stress on any one particular system.

FileMaker is a perfect solution in this scenario because it can be hosted in the cloud, which can help reduce a number of complex IT infrastructure issues that some companies may not be able to fix.

Rebranding is a major venture at any organization but, at times, it is completely necessary. When a company decides its current image has grown stale, or it wants to slightly adjust its offerings to attract new business, rebranding could be in order. However, because this action can make or break an organization, it's imperative that enough effort goes into the project to ensure its success. This includes the collection of a substantial amount of data.

A rebranding effort is designed to change the way a company appears in front of the public. So, it's best to gauge the public's opinion prior to committing to any dramatic change in the tone of an organization. Social media campaigns are popular because they are so easy to manage with today's technology, but there are other ways to reach out and extract data from potential customers as well. The key is to find a way to store and manage that information.

Developing a system designed to pull, sort, view and report on pertinent information can go a long way toward ensuring the success of a rebranding strategy. Suppose an organization wants to change its color scheme and it ran a public poll with three different options to choose from. The company will want to know which scheme received the most votes, so it can incorporate that information into its strategy.

However, it should be noted that information isn't always as cut-and-dry. One color scheme could emerge as the winner of that particular poll, but those who voted on it may not be the target audience. That information will have to be considered as well. 

Ultimately, the amount of data that goes into structuring a rebranding project is vast and it is extremely complex. Using simply systems to manage it won't allow businesses to yield the most value from their information. Using FileMaker to create a custom database software solution, however, will give companies the tools they need to harness the power of their data and orchestrate a truly positive rebranding strategy. 

Communication between businesses and consumers has been increasingly digital since the advent of the internet. Moreover, the shift from in-person to online interaction appears to be accelerating, rather than slowing down. Today, organizations rely on online interaction with consumers to fuel their business initiatives, and any issue that prevents that could lead to major problems.

Companies need solutions in place to monitor Web activity and the successes and failures that accompany the online experience. For example, suppose the website is down for a period of time or a specific function of the site is broken. Those issues must be handled quickly.

In today's big data era, they can be. You've probably seen an application crash and a subsequent popup message asking if you want to restart the program or send information to an admin. When issues are reported, this is data that can be processed to fix these issues quickly without compromising the user experience.

Anindya Neogi, a contributor with Forbes India, wrote a recent article explaining his problems paying his mobile bill online. The payment portal wasn't working and, although Neogi works in IT and has an understanding of how issues like this get fixed, he was frustrated due to the amount of time it was taking to resolve his issue. 

Negoi compared encountering an online issue with calling to file a complaint, and how each is resolved at a different rate. 

"When I lodge my complaint with the call-center and the application support engineer is called in, how does he detect the problem in minutes and not 24-48 hours?" he asked. "The IT systems produce a huge amount of data with wide variety to trace most activities, such as those on the payment transaction flow."

Businesses need a system designed to better process data generated from online issues. A custom database software system will allow information to be found and processed quickly, which will improve the effectiveness of online services.

The driving force behind global software adoption is being led by three different trends, but they are all related to one specific need: better information management.

According to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC), software adoption and development is growing on a global scale. In 2012, the worldwide software market grew by 3.6 percent, higher than the IDC’s initial projection of 3.4 percent. This is lower than the year-over-year difference between 2010 and 2011, but according to the firm, it shows that organizations have more focused needs. IDC says that adoption is being fueled by greater needs in the areas of big data, analytics and cloud computing.

These three areas each grew between 6 and 7 percent, indicating that businesses are putting a greater emphasis on the three over other software needs. Henry Morris, Senior Vice President for Worldwide Software, Services and Executive Advisory Research, shared his analysis of the findings with the online publication Fin Channel.

“The global software market, comprised of a multi-layered collection of technologies and solutions, is growing more slowly in this period of economic uncertainty,” Morris said. “Yet there is strong growth in selective areas.”

These three needs are closely tied together because they all represent the importance of efficient data management. While big data shows that information must be processed in a way that allows organizations to extract value from it, analytics shows where that value lies. Meanwhile, cloud computing shows that companies need somewhere to store and view their data without having to replace physical machines.

Ultimately, developing a custom database software system can help organizations meet all three important needs. A FileMaker-based solution allows users to manage large quantities of information, analyze and report on it, and even host it in the cloud. Going forward, these three trends of business technology don’t appear to be slowing down, so creating a system now will put businesses in a solid position in the years to come.

Big data as a term may be a recent creation, but the concept goes as far back as the 1950s, long predating the rise of the modern PC.

In 1955, famed businessman Peter Drucker spoke with a number of IBM executives about their efforts to drive the sales of what were, at the time, nothing more than clunky accounting machines. IBM's brilliant selling point was that these machines allowed users to collect information. The tools contained within the accounting machine allowed organizations to process information and save it for future use. 

Drucker ended the discussion with one prophetic line that would serve as the motivation for so many innovations over the last 58 years: "I wish you knew more about what to do with information once you get it, but that is a private wish."

Today, this idea is still being worked out. Businesses are still trying to develop solutions that will allow them to better use data once it is obtained. This is the crux of the big data era. 

This week, Forbes ran a feature on this famed story, and suggested that Drucker's vision is finally being carried out. The article lists a number of professionals, some of whom were directly influenced by the words uttered in 1955, who have now dedicated their lives to finding better big data solutions.

The thing is, not every company has the same information management needs or, for that matter, the same definition of big data. While everybody is finding ways to better handle their own data, there are different methods. Some company mission statements may call for different procedures. 

That's why FileMaker is an ideal development platform. With this system, businesses can create custom database software programs designed to manage information the way that best fits their organization. These created solutions will cater themselves to the specific operations of a company.

Most people share the same vision of Peter Drucker. By developing a FileMaker-based system, they can fulfill that vision the way they see fit. 

Checkout this month’s newsletter and stay up-to-date with Kyo Logic. Kyo Logic, LLC April, 2013 Newsletter In This Issue

• We’re Crazy About FileMaker Go!
• FileMaker Developer Conference 2013
• FM Academy
• CT FileMaker Developer’s Group
• Software Update: FileMaker 12.0v4 Server and Server Advanced Released
• Software Update: FileMaker 11.0v5 Server and Server Advanced Released