Logicalis US Helps Clients Unlock the Value of Big Data

NEW YORK, March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With all of the data being collected today, many businesses are developing what amounts to a big data problem.  Collecting massive amounts of data about customers' buying preferences or a product's performance in the marketplace is not useful unless that data can be quickly analyzed to make real-time business decisions.  The problem is choosing the right solution for a specific organization's unique "big data" needs.  Does the company need to crunch both structured and unstructured data? Is an in-memory solution the answer? What about purpose-built appliances like SAP HANA – how does the CIO decide what solution is right and what size appliance will be the best fit?  To help, Logicalis US, an international IT solutions and managed services provider (www.us.logicalis.com), has created a Data Transformation Journey roadmap; a series of four videos featuring expert Dan Quirk, SAP Practice Leader for Logicalis US; and an SAP HANA sizing tool to help customers narrow down the choices and find the right solution to put the knowledge they need at their fingertips.

"CIOs and their IT staffs – particularly storage administrators – are feeling the pressure of all this data and how to best manage it.  In effect, the influx of data coupled with the need to store, manage and analyze that data is forcing companies to undergo a data transformation, a journey that adds agility and higher-value services while simultaneously reducing costs for the organization," says Bob Hankins, Vice President, Data and Storage Solutions, Logicalis US.  "Even though companies are undergoing these changes, few have been able to articulate what those changes are in a way that outlines a specific process, giving them a roadmap to follow.  At Logicalis, we have done just that with our Data Transformation Journey.  Big data and data analytics are an important piece of this roadmap, and while they are beginning to be a driving force for change within the IT organization, they aren't the only factors to be considered.  It's critical that companies recognize where they are, where they're headed, and strategically plan their IT to meet those needs."

"Clearly, big data is not something that's hypothetical anymore; big data is real.  When we talk about 'big data,' we're talking about the ways organizations are leveraging both structured and unstructured data types to obtain actionable information in real time.  We're talking about data sets that are so large and complex that they become difficult to process using traditional applications," Logicalis' Quirk says.  "As a result, every company that collects large amounts of data has a big data 'problem' simply because of all the data they are gathering, and it is this problem – this pain point – that is driving change in the way data is gathered, stored, managed and analyzed.  If companies want to make use of all that data, they have to provide the support and the IT infrastructure to solve these very complex business problems.  One way to do that is with business analytics solutions – SAP HANA, for example.  Choosing a solution like SAP HANA from the myriad of possible solutions – that's the hard part.  This is a speed-of-thought world; as transactions are happening, organizations need to be able to report against those transactions in real time, both storing and analyzing the data on the fly.  There's no one-size-fits-all solution to big data problems.  The key is to start with a solid strategy and make decisions along the way that help unlock the business value in the data that's being collected."

Unlock the Value of Big Data
To help clients identify the right business analytics solution for their company, Logicalis US has created a series of videos and an appliance-sizing tool for those interested in SAP HANA.

1. What is Big Data: In this informational video, Logicalis expert Dan Quirk defines big data, discusses the technology surrounding it, and offers examples of the ways organizations are using the technology to meet their needs for real-time data analysis.
2. What is SAP HANA: SAP HANA is a big data management platform running on purpose-built hardware designed for both data storage and data analytics.  In this brief video, Logicalis' Quirk discusses the use case for SAP HANA.
3. What is SAP Modernization: Most companies are on a two- to five-year refresh cycle for the equipment that makes up their SAP environment.  Here, Quirk describes how a new, more modern SAP environment can take advantage of cloud capabilities, leverage new technologies, be more efficient for power and cooling, meet end-user demand and lower total cost of ownership.
4. SAP Cloud: What You Need to Know: What does cloud computing mean for an SAP environment? Quirk tackles tough issues like security in the cloud; private, public or hybrid environments; industry regulations and flexibility.
5. What Size SAP HANA is the Right Size: Use Logicalis' SAP HANA sizing calculator to get an idea of the sizing options and fit for an SAP HANA environment.

Want to Learn More?

• How can knowing where a company is along its Data Transformation Journey jumpstart IT discussions and lead to higher value services at lower costs? Click here to find out: http://www.ict-log.us/uTXuf.
• SmartPros, a leading provider of accredited professional education and training to Fortune 500 companies, recently tapped Logicalis' Dan Quirk as an expert for its WatchIT video, "Introduction to In-Memory Database Systems," part of the SmartPros eCampus Learning Management System.  Watch this video here: http://www.ict-log.us/uez53.
• Visit Logicalis' SAP HANA microsite here: http://www.ict-log.us/uGUVo.
• Download a free Logicalis eBook, "The Need for Speed," as well as other resources here: http://www.ict-log.us/uGUWN.

About Logicalis 
Logicalis is an international IT solutions and managed services provider with a breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data center and cloud services; and managed services.

Logicalis employs nearly 3,500 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of almost 6,000 corporate and public sector customers.  To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM, CA Technologies, EMC, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of over $1.4 billion from operations in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications solution integrators specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges, with revenues of over $5 billion.

For more information, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

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Media contacts:
Lisa Dreher, VP, Marketing & Business Development,
Logicalis US
[email protected]
425-201-8111
www.us.logicalis.com

Karen Franse, Communication Strategy Group for Logicalis US
[email protected]
866-997-2424
www.gocsg.com

SOURCE Logicalis US