Page 26 - GCN, June/July 2018

CLOUD
Cloud is fueling
the next data
revolution
Advanced analytical capabilities require the compute capacities and high-volume storage of the cloud
Tim Solms
Vice President of Public Sector, Cloudera
And the power of the cloud should factor into those decisions.
The more data, the better
Enhancing insights through data analysis makes it easier for agencies to improve their service offerings because they’re more informed and making better decisions. Indeed, cloud-based advances in data analytics raise some fascinating potential use cases. For example, by analyzing and looking for trends in data, the Department of Veterans Affairs might be able to identify service members who are more likely to attempt suicide after they return home from the battlefield, and the VA could get help to them proactively.
Similarly, state agencies could use data to determine where opioid addiction problems are concentrated and intervene appropriately. Such life-or-death scenarios require the predictive, accurate and timely use of data that the latest cloud-based tools facilitate.
However, security must remain a
top priority. Agencies want to provide services to citizens, but the more data they collect, the harder it is to secure
it, in part because agencies need a mix of cloud and on-premises platforms
that match their particular needs. Each environment typically has its own way
of determining what users are allowed to do, so it can be difficult for agencies to maintain consistency when encrypting data or providing role-based access.
Strong perimeter security can prevent outside intrusions, but the insider
threat can be as large or larger, whether malicious or benign. That’s why agencies
THE RELATIONAL DATABASE era that started in the 1980s allowed quick retrieval and storage of data, but as the data
being collected by agencies has grown in complexity and variety, a modern platform, optimized for the cloud, is needed. Today’s tools consolidate photos, video, audio and information gathered by all kinds of sensors into a single data layer to give agencies
a better environment in which to glean insights from that data.
Fortunately, advances in cloud technology are bringing down the cost of storage and expanding compute capabilities at a time when agencies need to process vast amounts of data and incorporate
more sophisticated tools, such as advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
As they seek to modernize, agencies need scalable solutions that enable growth as their data expands and demands for insight increase.
Nevada31/Shutterstock/GCN Staff
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