Given the ease of access to the network that currently exists and the possibility of being able to access hundreds of applications with just an internet browser, more and more applications operate from the cloud. In this article I talk about the ease of operating in and from the cloud and its implications for business intelligence.
For those of you who are not very familiar with the term cloud, this refers to a new model for making use of computers online. It involves moving the files and programs that are stored on your computer’s hard drive to different servers in other parts of the world, which can be accessed through the Internet.
For example, a photograph that you upload to a social network is stored on a server in the cloud, just like the software for managing the network itself. In order to access this photograph, you only need to have an internet connection and a browser, you do not necessarily have to have any application installed on your smartphone or desktop computer.
Entering the field of business intelligence, it refers to a fusion of processes and technologies that seek to obtain useful information from the management systems of a business, so that it can be analyzed and interpreted, and in this way they can be make the right decisions and at the time it is needed.
Much of the work of business intelligence has to do with the processes related to information and the way in which it is obtained, categorized, interpreted and analyzed. Therefore, it is vital that access to information is efficient, that it can be shared with those who need it, that it can work collaboratively with the different stakeholders involved in decision-making.
That is why today, in order to carry out much more efficient processes, it is important to migrate data to the cloud.
Data migration refers to the process of moving data from one storage system to another, in this specific case it would be moving the data that is in the company’s computers to servers that can be accessed from anywhere through Internet.
It must be taken into account that to carry out this data migration, the volume of data that will be stored online must be analyzed, the time that this process requires, technical aspects such as the compatibility of the systems, the performance of the new servers must also be evaluated. and even the time it takes to take company systems offline to make the switch to cloud access.
But all these processes outweigh the enormous benefits of carrying out business intelligence processes with systems that operate in the cloud. Among the advantages that can be mentioned are:
Access
Information can be accessed from virtually anywhere and from any device, today many business intelligence applications, such as PowerBI, allow users to access information from smartphones.
For example, when making decisions about the appropriate volumes of production, when the person in charge of such management is in a country other than where the factory is located and needs to consolidate the data from the last quarter in order to make a projection.
All this work can be done from a mobile device where you can access information, communicate with those involved and decide, without having to wait until you arrive in the country of origin. Mobility and the ability to access information from anywhere is one of the best features used by business intelligence.
updated software
When you have data in the cloud, you usually don’t have to worry about installing programs on a computer or keeping an eye on updates to access the information.
The company in charge of cloud services performs these operations automatically, ensuring that you can focus on the important tasks to perform business intelligence with your company’s data.
Instead of spending valuable time upgrading your computers, buying new licenses, or looking for plugins that are compatible with your computers, you can save time by analyzing trends in your analytics.
Hardware and software costs
As your information is managed on servers managed by third-party companies, you do not have to worry about having to invest in state-of-the-art computers that allow you to handle a high volume of data to carry out business intelligence processes efficiently.
You also get savings on software because when managing information in the cloud, the programs are in the cloud and not on the computer, savings can be achieved by installing individual licenses for each computer in the company.
When it comes to information storage capacity for later analysis with business intelligence tools, it is more profitable to manage storage on cloud servers by specialized companies than to invest in large hard drives on your own equipment.
Maintenance
Significant savings can be obtained when analyzing the costs for maintenance of computer systems and own networks for information management.
This is thanks to the fact that the information is located on third-party servers, these companies are in charge of offering all the necessary support and maintenance to their teams so that as users of the systems in the cloud, we can only concentrate on our work of generating, managing and analyze the information to make the right decisions.
When you pay for a service in the cloud, you concentrate on your main task, the rest of the secondary operations are in charge of the companies that provide these services.
Increase
If your company needs more space or information processing capacity for business intelligence processes, cloud systems can offer it almost instantly.
Cloud systems can be adapted to your size and specific needs, that is, they present models that are scalable.
Normally you would have to analyze how to optimize your own network to be able to store more data if your company is experiencing significant business growth, but if you have a cloud account, you only notify the administrators that you need either more bandwidth or more space, for example. set an example; and depending on the type of contract you have, they can solve your storage or band dilemma with a couple of clicks.
As you can see, by applying business intelligence processes with cloud operations, a series of new opportunities are opened up that companies can take advantage of to maximize and streamline the way in which important data is analyzed and decisions are made that manage to meet the organizational goals.
Business Intelligence Tools and if you like to specialize much more in this field that is so valuable for companies, you can continue with your studies and get the Professional Certificate in Business Intelligence.
With these courses you will be able to learn vital tools for decision making in 2 to 4 months and you will be able to generate important skills that today’s employers look for in professionals in this field.