Blog

Machine Data Provides Key Business Insights When Paired With Context

by Inderjeet Singh

December 9, 2013

More machines are going online, and more data is flowing into networks, databases, and social media than ever before, and it’s important to understand the tools that make sense of this data. Machine-to-machine data is valuable when evaluated in context, but without context it’s overwhelming and fails as a value proposition for any organization.

Providing Context for Machine-to-Machine Data

Event-enabled platforms are critical in extracting maximum value from each of the data sources that flow into an organization. Using an in-memory data grid, you can analyze the data, evaluate patterns, and process directives or routines in real time. Businesses using an enterprise service bus (ESB) in conjunction with an event-enabled server are able to draw in massive amounts of machine data, and shape it into something more meaningful.

This architecture for machine-to-machine data connects devices and exposes billions of events to be managed from a central location. This form of M2M data management makes business intelligence actionable at the speed at which events occur, eliminating lags and losses.

Tackle Problems Before They Get Big

Take for example, the smart electric meters that utility companies are signing online at businesses and homes all over the country. This machine-to-machine environment gives utility providers a live picture of the energy grid, complete with distribution centers, feed profiles, and energized devices.

Machines, like smart meters, push through huge amounts of data, not intelligence; for that, you need a visual analytics platform. The ability to zone in on the energy dynamics of a particular zip code, at a particular time, is a key factor in your ability to isolate and solve issues when you are receiving hourly updates from millions of meters. This information provides the power to solve or mitigate issues on the energy grid before they become significant.

As more companies begin to utilize machine data to shape business strategy, business users will be able to make more confident, and ultimately faster and more effective, decisions for the company.

Explore our Integration Maturity Model to learn whether you’re really utilizing your data to its maximum potential.