The Ins and Outs of DaaS
Business organizations generate a large amount of big data from a variety of sources daily. The ability to leverage the value of big data and the business insights gained that can be applied toward business decisions is key to business growth. Most organizations deal with too much big data that end up scattered in data silos.
One of the biggest problems between business functions is the lack of shared data and communication. One department may end up with valuable data that benefits another department, but without a means of communicating this data, the value is lost. Data as a service tries to solve this sharing issue by making it possible for organizations to access real-time data streams from anywhere via an internet connection.
What Is Data as a Service?
Data as a service, or DaaS, is a data management strategy that leverages big data for improved business agility. A DaaS system is similar to a software as a service (SaaS) system as both provide a means of managing large amounts of data generated daily across a variety of data sources.
A DaaS model features a range of data management technologies such as data virtualization, data services, data analytics, and data cataloging. This allows data users to access the most valuable business insights in real-time to aid business decision-making. The democratization of data makes it possible to monetize data and gain a competitive advantage while taking a data-focused approach to business processes.
Perform With Greater Agility
Think of a DaaS system as a data stream that data users can access on-demand. Most organizations don’t have an in-house IT team capable of fully leveraging the vast amount of data they collect. DaaS providers focus on compiling data into relevant data streams that users can access when necessary. The ability to seamlessly and effortlessly access specific data allows organizations to perform with greater agility.
Manipulate Data Easily
Big data is typically unstructured and disorganized on the surface. Leveraging the true value of data requires proper analysis of trends and insights. A Daas provider is a cloud service provider that makes it easy to keep up with the demand for data-driven insights by offering tailored data streams. The ability to access a central data center and find specific data in an easy-to-use format makes it easier and less time-consuming to leverage data assets.
Organization-Wide Data Integration
Having an agile business model that allows an organization to shift gears and change focus quickly is key to surviving during COVID-19. Business functions across an organization should be able to go beyond traditional roles and streamline the project management process, especially in a remote work setting. The control over business data provided by a DaaS system makes it easier to gain actionable business insights that can be leveraged in business decisions.
Challenges of DaaS Solutions
There are several challenges that a DaaS solution must overcome. Moving data into cloud infrastructure and transferring data over a network raises unique security risks. Data compliance is key for any business organization, and when moving sensitive data into the cloud, there are additional compliance steps to follow. Any organization that’s subject to specific data compliance requirements must ensure their DaaS solution meets those requirements.
Some DaaS solutions have limited capabilities, such as the number of available tools for working with data. This means users can only use the tools that are hosted on or compatible with their DaaS system, rather than using their tools of choice. The deployment of large amounts of data into a DaaS system can be time-consuming thanks to network bandwidth limitations. This may or may not be an issue depending on the frequency with which an organization deploys data into a DaaS system.
