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An article by the vice president of system integration company NTT DATA, Raj Rao, on Wired.com highlights the challenges that software developers face in the age of "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD). With the proliferation of different devices, they can no longer get away with designing their software for a single browser or platform. This extends to business software solutions and the field of custom application development, as the BYOD attitude is increasingly ingrained in companies who allow or even encourage employees to access company information from their preferred devices.

This means that developers are forced by the market to ensure that their products are available on several operating systems and platforms, mobile or otherwise, or risk losing out to competitors who do a better job of working on cross-platform convenience. Rao notes that analytics have become a widely used resource among both developers and testers to detect their software's usage trends and reach conclusions about which areas to emphasize.

But the author also points out that just reading and drawing conclusions from existing data is not enough in the tech world, which is constantly in flux, with device and OS makers updating their products all the time and consumer preferences changing just as often. Future tendencies are notoriously hard to predict, and it is dangerous for a developer to try to guess how the market will respond to the release of a new smartphone, tablet or OS.

Small and medium-sized software companies need a powerful database tool to adequately process abundant information and detect emerging trends. A certified FileMaker developer can help businesses do just that by introducing them to software that works across a variety of platforms, allowing users to transition seamlessly from one to the other, whether they are at the office or working remotely. FileMaker training is also available for companies to learn how to expand their databases and never lag behind the competition.

The online edition of Entrepreneur magazine has featured two articles this month by industry insiders about the ways that small businesses could be in an ideal position to make the most of big data. Joanna Schloss, a business intelligence and analytics expert at Dell, and Dan Yoo, COO of personal finance website NerdWallet.com, not only provide tips on how to use big data to maximum effect, but suggest that small companies may even have the advantage over larger enterprises in this department.

Here are some of the specific ways big data can help SMBs thrive:

• Track not just a website's visitors but how long they stay on each page and how they move between pages, thus gaining valuable insight into which services are most appealing and where cross-promotional opportunities could be beneficial.
• Track social media interaction and consumer trends, and cross-reference that information, using the conclusions to be at the vanguard of sale and service opportunities as they emerge.
• Use data as a tool to inform management decisions — Yoo notes that SMB owners "often run by intuition", and that doesn't have to change, but data can undoubtedly help make wiser choices.

The experts also point out how a custom database development company is ideally suited to provide big data solutions to SMBs:

• Database consultants that are used to working with small companies know how to tailor their services to their clients' needs, whereas similar services for large enterprises are, as Schloss points out, "typically an all-or-nothing proposition," requiring an overhaul of existing systems that SMBs often simply can't afford, financially or logistically. An SMB-specific provider can modify as much or as little of the client's operations as is necessary.
• Because of the customized nature of the service, rapid application development is possible for SMBs, resulting in immediate benefits to the bottom line.
• Personalization also has the benefit of reducing costs, and adjusting them to the possibilities of each client.

Connecticut's Small Business Express Program has helped create nearly 4,200 jobs in the last two and a half years, according to data from the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), which has run the program since its inception in January 2012. Small Business Express was designed to make up for a decrease in bank loans during the financial crisis.

Small and medium-sized businesses of no more than 100 employees can apply for a loan of up to $300,000, but DECD head Catherine Smith says the average loan is closer to $175,000. In exchange, beneficiaries are required to maintain their current workforce as well as any new jobs they may add for a year after receiving the aid, or else face financial penalties.

The program aims to increase hiring by requiring that, in order to become eligible, companies promise to use the money to either take on new staff or invest in equipment. The results certainly suggest that it's working, with 4,171 new hires statewide coming as a direct result of the program's loans. With Connecticut's SMBs not only finding stability but expanding, demand will increase for custom database software among the state's companies, as more employees mean more complex management practices, and a greater need for business software solutions.

A certified Connecticut FileMaker developer can help companies throughout the state and in any branch of business by creating custom databases to improve the way they operate. They can also provide useful training in how to use FileMaker to their full advantage. Any small business that's looking to grow can use all the help it can get, and a tool like FileMaker can help an SMB not just survive but thrive in the competitive business world.

The 2014 edition of IT research company Gartner's hype cycle, published this week, shows an overwhelmingly positive outlook for custom database development, database management, data science and big data over the next decade. The cycle is a graphic representation of where emerging technologies stand in terms of industry perception and their permeation with their potential audience, and it also predicts when said technologies will have reached enough exposure to no longer be considered emerging.

Big data, which last year was classified as the most hyped technology, has now moved past the "Peak of Inflated Expectations". According to the cycle's progression, the next step will be supplier consolidation, followed by a second and third wave of venture capital influx, which will set big data well on the path to the so-called "Plateau of Productivity", the final stage, which it will reach, according to Gartner, within the next five to 10 years.

By that time, data science will already be a productive technology — in fact, it is projected to be the fastest mover in the coming months and years. Now only at the beginning of the mass media hype stage, Gartner nevertheless predicts that data science will quickly proceed on to the subsequent waves of investment that eventually lead to consolidation. Also plateauing in less than five years will in-memory database management systems.

Given this positive outlook, it's clear that data management, already an important part of any business, is only going to become more relevant with time. Business managers would be wise to engage the services of database consultants, who can provide custom database software which will not only assist in the running of the business's operations but also help them keep up with the current trend.

Every company is looking for the best ways to access important data, even if the source is something they did not create.

For example, according to several news outlets in Europe, Prozone's has reached a partnership with Sports Interactive. The latter is the design company behind the popular computer game Football Manager, where individuals can live out their fantasies of running a real soccer team in Europe. The game features a deep database of over 550,000 real players, managers and staff, that contains 250 pieces of biographical information, contract status and positional details. The data is collected by 1,300 scouts across six continents.

With the new deal, these databases will not be accessed by Prozone, which is responsible for the video and performance analysis software called RECRUITER. It is used by Premier League clubs to better recruit new players and staff.

"For years we've heard stories of real-life managers and scouts using our data to help with the recruitment process," Sports Interactive Studio Director Miles Jacobson told the Mirror. "From now on, it's official…real managers around the world will be finding and comparing players using data and a search system that will be very familiar to players of Football Manager."

This partnership between a major sporting league and a video game company shows how important it is to have the right database of critical information. With the help of custom database software, any business will be able to create the best possible collection of data and analyze it in the most effective way.

There is a moment in some action movies when the hero, who is framed for a crime, gets pulled over by a police officer and a tense moment follows where they nervously wait for the database to be accessed that shows a warrant out for their arrest. While it makes for a memorable cinematic moment, it is something that happens on a much smaller scale many times a day in real life.

According to a recent article from KHOU — a Houston, Texas news outlet — officers in Dallas have computer systems in their cars that access two-important databases – National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) – to look up a person's criminal history, outstanding warrants and stolen vehicles. These databases are critical to not only stopping crime but also keeping officers safe. It is always dangerous to walk into a situation without knowing all the facts.

However, recently an issue arose where 123 officers, 62 of which are out in patrol, were locked out of these databases. Some of these officers found out when they were on the field and attempted to login.

This happened because the Dallas Police Department failed to keep up with regulations. Officers are required to take a training course for two years to get or remain certified to access these databases. Any officer that is not certified or allows it to lapse, is considered unauthorized. The officers that lost access were the victim of a slow training process that caused them to fall behind and an issue plagued deployment that cost $4 million.

"The training team has been assigned the last two months almost on a full-time basis to RMS," Maj. Scott Bratcher told the news source.

Several officers who lost access spoke off the record about the fact that they have not been able to enroll in new classes to get certified. One went as far as saying that because of this, there is an increased level of danger for not only the officers but also the citizens because these standard criminal background checks can no longer be run.

Most businesses do not have potential life and death circumstances attached to their databases, but that does not make them any less important to handling daily operations for the company. With the help of custom database software, any organization can create a personalized solution and ensure that all employees are trained on it.

When it comes to business intelligence software solutions, there is a growing list of potential options on the marketplace. Despite this, there are still a high number of company decision makers that rely on traditional solutions, like Microsoft Excel, as a key business tool.

According to a recent article from ITWeb, spreadsheets are used by a majority of senior executives to manage projects. The site conducted a survey over the course of 14 days in May and June of this year. It found that 76 percent of top executives in the United States are using spreadsheets internally. This is the same in markets outside the U.S. as well, as 75 percent of decision makers in South Africa rely primarily on spreadsheets.

While spreadsheets do have a place, some experts believe that it has become an outdated technology. Diederik Jordaan, an MD at Gen2 Enterprise Software, a company that helped with the report, said that 57.1 percent of the companies relying on spreadsheets have more than 500 employees.

"Given the size of these organizations, this can easily lead to project management or project portfolio management, data integrity issues and agonizingly inefficient feedback loops," the article reads. "Today's organizations need the agility to see and trust information as it develops, to make informed decisions and maintain a competitive edge."

With the help of a custom web application development firm that specializes in more complex systems like FileMaker, any company can start taking deploying more current solutions. This provides a simple way to step out of the comfort zone and implement something new.

It is easy to see how technology has changed over the last few years. If you look at how nearly any business operation was handled a decade ago, you can see how traditional solutions like telecommunications or brand new concepts like virtual data management have evolved. Something like a database, for example, has transformed from a niche concept to a "must-have" system that has been incorporated into core decision making, is needed to push innovation and improve operations.

A recent Experian Data Quality article examined this trend for closely and points out that despite a growing importance of quality data, more companies are struggling to actually master how they manage it.

The piece cites a study by Dynamic Markets that found 94 percent of companies still suffer from common data errors. One of the main reasons for this is that companies have poor or ineffective data management practices. The problem here is that in many cases data management is fragmented or has become stagnant because of poor practices.

This is where having a proper data management strategy and software solution can come into play. The article points to three specific themes — detection, analysis and resolution — which can be used to unlock the most effective benefits. These include:

• Cutting down on unnecessary expenditures by identifying relevant data faster
• Enhancing regulatory compliance
• Centralizing and consolidating data
• Establishing a benchmark that is weighed against key performance indicators.

More organizations are relying on databases and data management to accomplish a number of best practices. With the help of a custom database software and a quality solution provider, any company will be able to tap into this potential.

For every organization, there is a growing need to collect and organize information in a timely manner. Many companies turn toward spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel or Apple's Numbers, and while these work for basic data, it is not enough for more complex solutions.

A recent article from the Worthing Herald features an in-depth interview with Heather Godfrey, a software developer at CM Databases. In the course of the conversation, the biggest takeaway is that every company needs to have a database and not rely solely on spreadsheets.

According to Godfrey, spreadsheets can be useful, but they are also limited. For instance, a spreadsheet is not the right tool for handling contact-management. While it will provide a way to get the task done, it is by no means the most effective tool for the job. In this example, exporting this information from a spreadsheet requires human interaction with the data, which opens the door for mistakes.

"Spreadsheets are bad news for business management, because inconsistency equals mess, and mess equals inefficiency," Godfrey said. "A good CRM system will allow the entry of a name only once, and then feed this through to wherever else it is needed."

By using a system like FileMaker, it becomes much easier to not only compile this kind of data but also use it in an effective way like for automatic email lists, labels and data sharing. With the right database solution, any company can find a way to improve the working environment and run more smoothly.