Data Lake Archives - gettectonic.com

12Nov

Enterprises are Adopting AI-powered Automation Platforms

The rapid pace of AI technological advancement is placing immense pressure on teams, often leading to disagreements due to the unrealistic expectations businesses have for the speed and agility of new technology implementation. A staggering 88% of IT professionals report that they are unable to keep up with the flood of AI-related requests within their organizations. Executives from UiPath, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and ManageEngine offer insights into how enterprises can navigate these challenges. Leading enterprises are adopting AI-powered automation platforms that understand, automate, and manage end-to-end processes. These platforms integrate seamlessly with existing enterprise technologies, using AI to reduce friction, eliminate inefficiencies, and enable teams to achieve business goals faster, with greater accuracy and efficiency. This year’s innovation drivers include tools such as Intelligent Document Processing, Communications Mining, Process and Task Mining, and Automated Testing. “Automation is the best path to deliver on AI’s potential, seamlessly integrating intelligence into daily operations, automating backend processes, upskilling employees, and revolutionizing industries,” says Mark Gibbs, EMEA President, UiPath. Jessica Constantinidis, Innovation Officer EMEA at ServiceNow, explains, “Intelligent Automation blends Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) with well-defined processes to automate decision-making outcomes.” “Hyperautomation provides a business-driven, disciplined approach that enterprises can use to make informed decisions quickly by analyzing process and data feedback within the organization,” adds Constantinidis. Thierry Nicault, AVP and General Manager at Salesforce Middle East, emphasizes that while companies are eager to embrace AI, the pace of change often leads to confusion and stifles innovation. He notes, “By deploying AI and Hyperintelligent Automation tools, organizations can enhance productivity, visibility, and operational transformation.” Automation is driving growth and innovation across industries. AI-powered tools are simplifying processes, improving business revenues, and contributing to economic diversification. Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, Director of AI Research at ManageEngine, highlights how Hyperintelligent Automation, powered by AI, uses tools like Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Intelligent Document Processing to detect anomalies, forecast business trends, and empower decision-making. The IT Pushback Despite enthusiasm for AI, IT professionals are raising concerns. A Salesforce survey revealed that 88% of IT professionals feel overwhelmed by the influx of AI-related requests, with many citing resource constraints, data security concerns, and data quality issues. Business stakeholders often have unrealistic expectations about how quickly new technologies can be implemented, creating friction. According to Constantinidis of ServiceNow, many organizations lack transparency across their business units, making it difficult to fully understand their processes. As a result, automating processes becomes challenging. She adds, “Before full hyperautomation is possible, issues like data validation, classification, and privacy must be prioritized.” Automation platforms need accurate data, and governance is crucial in managing what data is used for AI models. “You need AI skills to teach and feed the data, and you also need a data specialist to clean up your data lake,” Constantinidis explains. Gibbs from UiPath stresses that automation must be designed in collaboration with the business users who understand the processes and systems. Once deployed, a feedback loop ensures continuous improvement and refinement of automated workflows. Ramamoorthy from ManageEngine notes that adopting Hyperintelligent Automation alongside existing workflows poses challenges. Enterprises must evaluate their technology stack, considering the costs, skills required, and the potential benefits. Strategic Integration of AI and Automation To successfully implement Hyperintelligent Automation tools, enterprises need a blend of IT and business skills. Mark Gibbs of UiPath points out, “These skills ensure organizations can effectively implement, manage, and optimize hyperintelligent technologies, aligning them with organizational goals.” Salesforce’s Nicault adds, “Enterprises must empower both IT and business teams to embrace AI, fostering innovation while ensuring the technology delivers real value.” Business skills are equally crucial, including strategic planning, process analysis, and change management. Ramamoorthy emphasizes that these competencies help identify automation opportunities and align them with business goals. According to Bassel Khachfeh, Digital Solutions Manager at Omnix, automation must be implemented with a focus on regulatory and compliance needs specific to the industry. This approach ensures the technology supports future growth and innovation. Transforming Customer Experiences and Business Operations As automation evolves, it’s transforming not only back-end processes but also customer experiences and decision-making at every level. Constantinidis from ServiceNow explains that hyperintelligence enables enterprises to predict outcomes and avert crises by trusting AI’s data accuracy. Gibbs from UiPath adds that automation allows enterprises to unlock untapped opportunities, speeding up the transformation of manual processes and enhancing business efficiency. AI is already making an impact in areas like supply chain management, regulatory compliance, and customer-facing processes. Ramamoorthy of ManageEngine notes that AI-powered NLP is revolutionizing enterprise chatbots and document processing, enabling businesses to automate complex workflows like invoice handling and sentiment analysis. Khachfeh from Omnix highlights how Cognitive Automation platforms elevate RPA by integrating AI-driven capabilities, such as NLP and Optical Character Recognition (OCR), to further streamline operations. Looking Ahead Hyperintelligent Automation, driven by AI, is set to revolutionize industries by enhancing efficiency, driving innovation, and enabling smarter decision-making. Enterprises that strategically adopt these tools—by integrating IT and business expertise, prioritizing data governance, and continuously refining their automated workflows—will be best positioned to navigate the complexities of AI and achieve sustainable growth. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

November 12, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Artificial Intelligence, Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Technology

data cloud and marketing cloud personalization

02Nov

Salesforce Data Cloud Dictionary

Core Components of Data Cloud Integration Data Cloud: Data Cloud is a platform that gathers data from different sources into one place, giving you a complete view of your data to make smarter decisions. Data Connection: A data connection is a secure link between Data Cloud and external sources, allowing data to flow smoothly between systems. Data Lake Object (DLO): A Data Lake Object temporarily stores raw data as it’s imported into Data Cloud, keeping it organized and ready for processing. Data Model Object (DMO): A Data Model Object organizes and maps data into specific fields, making it structured and usable within Data Cloud. Data Stream: A data stream is a continuous pipeline that transfers data from a source (like a database) into Data Cloud on a regular schedule. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

November 2, 2024in Data, Salesforce Data Cloud

25Oct

Transform Customer Experience

In today’s AI-driven business environment, customer experience (CX) has evolved from being a buzzword to a critical factor in determining success. It’s no longer enough for businesses to offer high-quality products or excellent service alone—today’s customers are always online, engaged, and seeking the most convenient, relevant, and enjoyable experiences. This is where Salesforce Data Cloud becomes a game-changer, providing the tools needed to meet modern customer expectations. Transforming Customer Experience with Salesforce Data Cloud Salesforce enables businesses to collect, integrate, and leverage critical customer information within its ecosystem, offering an all-encompassing view of each customer. This unified customer data allows organizations to forecast visitor trends, assess marketing impact, and predict customer behavior. As data-driven decision-making becomes increasingly central to business strategy, Salesforce Data Cloud and its Customer Data Platform (CDP) features provide a significant competitive edge—whether in e-commerce, fintech, or B2B industries. Data Cloud is more than just your traditional CDP. It’s the only data platform native to the world‘s #1 AI CRM. This means that marketers can quickly access and easily action on unified data – from across the entire business – to drive growth and increase customer lifetime value. Data Cloud’s Role in Enhancing CX By unifying data in one place, Salesforce Data Cloud enables organizations to access real-time customer insights. This empowers them to track customer activity across channels like email, social media, and online sales, facilitating targeted marketing strategies. Businesses can analyze customer behavior and deliver personalized messaging, aligning marketing, sales, and customer service efforts to ensure consistency. With these capabilities, Salesforce customers can elevate the CX by delivering the right content, at the right time, to the right audience, ultimately driving customer satisfaction and growth. New Features of Salesforce Data Cloud Salesforce continues to evolve, introducing cutting-edge features that reshape customer interaction: To fully maximize these features, partnering with a Salesforce Data Cloud consultant can help businesses unlock the platform’s full potential and refine their customer engagement strategies. Agentic AI Set to Supercharge Business Processes Salesforce’s vision extends beyond customer relationship management with the integration of Agentic AI through its Customer 360 platform. According to theCUBE Research analysts, this signals a shift toward using AI agents to automate complex business processes. These AI agents, built on Salesforce’s vast data resources, promise to revolutionize how companies operate, offering customized, AI-driven business tools. “If they can pull this off, where it becomes a more dynamic app platform, more personalized, really focused on those processes all the way back to the data, it’s going to be a clear win for them,” said Strechay. “They’re sitting on cloud; they’re sitting on IaaS. That’s a huge win from that perspective.” AI agents create a network of microservices that think and act independently, involving human intervention only when necessary. This division of labor allows businesses to capture expertise in routine tasks while freeing human workers to focus on more complex decision-making. However, the success of these AI agents depends on access to accurate and reliable data. As Gilbert explained, “Agents can call on other agents, and when they’re not confident of a step in a process or an outcome, they can then bounce up to an inbox for a human to supervise.” The goal isn’t to eliminate humans but to capture their expertise for simpler processes. Empowering Developers and Citizen Creators At the core of this AI-driven transformation is Salesforce’s focus on developers. The platform’s low-code tools allow businesses to easily customize AI agents and automate business processes, empowering both experienced developers and citizen creators. With simple language commands or goal-setting, companies can build and train these AI agents, streamlining operations. “It’s always going to be about good data—that’s the constant,” Bertrand said. “The second challenge is how to train agents and humans to work together effectively. While some entry-level jobs may be replaced, AI will continue to evolve, creating new opportunities in the future.” Is Salesforce Data Cloud the Right Fit for Your Business? Salesforce Data Cloud offers comprehensive capabilities for businesses of all sizes, but it’s essential to assess whether it aligns with your specific needs. The platform is particularly valuable for: For businesses that fit these scenarios, working with Salesforce’s partner ecosystem or a Data Cloud consultant can help ensure successful integration and optimization. What’s New in Salesforce’s Latest Release? The latest Salesforce Spring Release introduced several exciting features, further enhancing Salesforce Data Cloud: These updates reflect Salesforce’s commitment to providing innovative, data-driven solutions that enhance customer experiences and drive business success. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 25, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Generative AI, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud

23Oct

Scaling Generative AI

Many organizations follow a hybrid approach to AI infrastructure, combining public clouds, colocation facilities, and on-prem solutions. Specialized GPU-as-a-service vendors, for instance, are becoming popular for handling high-demand AI computations, helping businesses manage costs without compromising performance. Business process outsourcing company TaskUs, for example, focuses on optimizing compute and data flows as it scales its gen AI deployments, while Cognizant advises that companies distinguish between training and inference needs, each with different latency requirements.

October 23, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Salesforce

12Oct

SingleStore Acquires BryteFlow

SingleStore Acquires BryteFlow, Paving the Way for Real-Time Analytics and Next-Gen AI Use Cases SingleStore, the world’s only database designed to transact, analyze, and search petabytes of data in milliseconds, has announced its acquisition of BryteFlow, a leading data integration platform. This move enhances SingleStore’s capabilities to ingest data from diverse sources—including SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce—while empowering users to operationalize data from their CRM and ERP systems. With the acquisition, SingleStore will integrate BryteFlow’s data integration technology into its core offering, launching a new experience called SingleConnect. This addition will complement SingleStore’s existing functionalities, enabling users to gain deeper insights from their data, accelerate real-time analytics, and support emerging generative AI (GenAI) use cases. “This acquisition marks a pivotal step in our mission to deliver unparalleled speed, scale, and simplicity,” said Raj Verma, CEO of SingleStore. “Customer demands are evolving rapidly due to shifts in big data storage formats and advancements in generative AI. We believe that data is the foundation of all intelligence, and SingleConnect comes at a perfect time to address this need.” BryteFlow’s platform provides scalable change data capture (CDC) capabilities across multiple data sources, ensuring data integrity between source and target. It integrates seamlessly with major cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, making it a powerful tool for cloud-based data warehouses and data lakes. Its no-code interface allows for easy and accessible data integration, ensuring that existing BryteFlow customers will experience uninterrupted service and ongoing support. “By combining BryteFlow’s real-time data integration expertise with SingleStore’s capabilities, we aim to help global organizations extract maximum value from their data and scale modern applications,” said Pradnya Bhandary, CEO of BryteFlow. “With SingleConnect, developers will find it easier and faster to access enterprise data sources, tackle complex workloads, and deliver exceptional experiences to their customers.” Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 12, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Salesforce, Technology

10Oct

Fivetrans Hybrid Deployment

Fivetran’s Hybrid Deployment: A Breakthrough in Data Engineering In the data engineering world, balancing efficiency with security has long been a challenge. Fivetran aims to shift this dynamic with its Hybrid Deployment solution, designed to seamlessly move data across any environment while maintaining control and flexibility. Fivetrans Hybrid Deployment. The Hybrid Advantage: Flexibility Meets Control Fivetran’s Hybrid Deployment offers a new approach for enterprises, particularly those handling sensitive data or operating in regulated sectors. Often, these businesses struggle to adopt data-driven practices due to security concerns. Hybrid Deployment changes this by enabling the secure movement of data across cloud and on-premises environments, giving businesses full control over their data while maintaining the agility of the cloud. As George Fraser, Fivetran’s CEO, notes, “Businesses no longer have to choose between managed automation and data control. They can now securely move data from all their critical sources—like Salesforce, Workday, Oracle, SAP—into a data warehouse or data lake, while keeping that data under their own control.” How it Works: A Secure, Streamlined Approach Fivetran’s Hybrid Deployment relies on a lightweight local agent to move data securely within a customer’s environment, while the Fivetran platform handles the management and monitoring. This separation of control and data planes ensures that sensitive information stays within the customer’s secure perimeter. Vinay Kumar Katta, a managing delivery architect at Capgemini, highlights the flexibility this provides, enabling businesses to design pipelines without sacrificing security. Beyond Security: Additional Benefits Hybrid Deployment’s benefits go beyond just security. It also offers: Early adopters are already seeing its value. Troy Fokken, chief architect at phData, praises how it “streamlines data pipeline processes,” especially for customers in regulated industries. AI Agent Architectures: Defining the Future of Autonomous Systems In the rapidly evolving world of AI, a new framework is emerging—AI agents designed to act autonomously, adapt dynamically, and explore digital environments. These AI agents are built on core architectural principles, bringing the next generation of autonomy to AI-driven tasks. What Are AI Agents? AI agents are systems designed to autonomously or semi-autonomously perform tasks, leveraging tools to achieve objectives. For instance, these agents may use APIs, perform web searches, or interact with digital environments. At their core, AI agents use Large Language Models (LLMs) and Foundation Models (FMs) to break down complex tasks, similar to human reasoning. Large Action Models (LAMs) Just as LLMs transformed natural language processing, Large Action Models (LAMs) are revolutionizing how AI agents interact with environments. These models excel at function calling—turning natural language into structured, executable actions, enabling AI agents to perform real-world tasks like scheduling or triggering API calls. Salesforce AI Research, for instance, has open-sourced several LAMs designed to facilitate meaningful actions. LAMs bridge the gap between unstructured inputs and structured outputs, making AI agents more effective in complex environments. Model Orchestration and Small Language Models (SLMs) Model orchestration complements LAMs by utilizing smaller, specialized models (SLMs) for niche tasks. Instead of relying on resource-heavy models, AI agents can call upon these smaller models for specific functions—such as summarizing data or executing commands—creating a more efficient system. SLMs, combined with techniques like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), allow smaller models to perform comparably to their larger counterparts, enhancing their ability to handle knowledge-intensive tasks. Vision-Enabled Language Models for Digital Exploration AI agents are becoming even more capable with vision-enabled language models, allowing them to interact with digital environments. Projects like Apple’s Ferret-UI and WebVoyager exemplify this, where agents can navigate user interfaces, recognize elements via OCR, and explore websites autonomously. Function Calling: Structured, Actionable Outputs A fundamental shift is happening with function calling in AI agents, moving from unstructured text to structured, actionable outputs. This allows AI agents to interact with systems more efficiently, triggering specific actions like booking meetings or executing API calls. The Role of Tools and Human-in-the-Loop AI agents rely on tools—algorithms, scripts, or even humans-in-the-loop—to perform tasks and guide actions. This approach is particularly valuable in high-stakes industries like healthcare and finance, where precision is crucial. The Future of AI Agents With the advent of Large Action Models, model orchestration, and function calling, AI agents are becoming powerful problem solvers. These agents are evolving to explore, learn, and act within digital ecosystems, bringing us closer to a future where AI mimics human problem-solving processes. As AI agents become more sophisticated, they will redefine how we approach digital tasks and interactions. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 10, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce

08Oct

Data Cloud Model

While many Salesforce products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Education Cloud, Health Cloud, and various industry clouds are built on a common ‘core’ platform that shares the same datastore (an Oracle relational database), Salesforce Data Cloud operates on (Data Cloud Model) a distinct architecture and technology stack. This insight explores the data models and related concepts that underpin the platform. Data Cloud Architecture and Storage Starting with the storage layer, Salesforce Data Cloud integrates multiple services: This combination enables Data Cloud to provide a petabyte-scale data store, overcoming the scalability and performance constraints of traditional relational databases. The physical architecture of Data Cloud is represented as a set of data objects, which form the foundation for how data is ingested, harmonized, and activated within the platform. Key Data Cloud Objects Data Source A Data Source is the initial data layer in Data Cloud, representing an external platform or system from which your data originates. Data Sources can include: Data Stream A Data Stream is an entity extracted from a Data Source, such as ‘Orders’ from Commerce Cloud, ‘Contacts’ from Sales Cloud, or ‘Subscribers’ from Marketing Cloud. Once a Data Source is connected to Data Cloud, Data Streams provide access to these entities and require assignment to a category: Profile, Engagement, or Other. A single Data Source can contain multiple Data Streams. Data Source Object (DSO) Data Streams are ingested into Data Source Objects (DSOs), which serve as temporary staging stores containing data in its raw, native format (e.g., CSV files). Minor transformations can be applied to fields during data ingestion. Data Lake Object (DLO) The next step in the data flow is the Data Lake Object (DLO). DLOs are typed, schema-based, materialized views that reside in the data lake (Amazon S3) and are generally stored as Apache Parquet files. This format, along with Apache Iceberg’s abstraction layer, supports efficient data storage and retrieval. DLOs are the first objects available for inspection and preparation of data, including field mapping and additional transformations. Data Model Object (DMO) Unlike DSOs and DLOs, which use a physical data store, Data Model Objects (DMOs) provide a virtual, non-materialized view into the data lake. Queries against a DMO return results based on the current data snapshot in DLOs, without storing them. DMOs can aggregate attributes from different Data Streams, Calculated Insights, and other sources. DMOs inherit their category from the first DLO mapped to them, and only DLOs with the same category can be mapped to the DMO. Like Salesforce objects, DMOs offer a canonical data model with pre-defined attributes (standard objects), and you can also create custom DMOs (custom objects). DMOs can have one-to-one or many-to-one relationships with other DMOs. Currently, there are 89 standard DMOs in Data Cloud, and this number is growing to support more use cases. DMOs are organized into various subject areas, including: Data Spaces Data Spaces offer logical partitions, allowing data to be segregated between different brands, regions, or departments, without the need for multiple Data Cloud instances. They also align with a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), enabling you to stage and test Data Objects in separate environments without affecting production data. Data Sources, Data Streams, and DLOs can be shared across Data Spaces, while DMOs and other platform features are isolated based on user permissions. Final Thoughts With the drop in storage costs and advancements in technology, companies now have vast datasets at their disposal. Every customer interaction, whether it’s a purchase, an email open, or a web page view, can be captured and stored. When properly organized, this data allows businesses to understand customers better, predict their needs, personalize interactions, and much more. However, one of Salesforce’s challenges is that its original platform, built over 20 years ago, was designed for a different era and struggles with handling voluminous, “big” data. Salesforce Data Cloud addresses these limitations with a modern architecture that overcomes the constraints of relational databases. Data Cloud is poised to become the backbone of the Salesforce platform, supporting the data needs of customers and products for the next two decades. If you’re interested in learning how to implement and integrate Salesforce Data Cloud in your organization, following best practices, reach out today. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 8, 2024in Data, Google, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Snowflake, Technology, Unified Knowledge

04Oct

Databricks Tools

Databricks recently introduced Databricks Apps, a toolkit designed to simplify AI and data application development. By integrating native development platforms and offering automatic provisioning of serverless compute, the toolkit enables customers to more easily develop and deploy applications. Databricks Apps builds on the existing capabilities of Mosaic AI, which allows users to integrate large language models (LLMs) with their enterprise’s proprietary data. However, the ability to develop interactive AI applications, such as generative AI chatbots, was previously missing. Databricks Apps addresses this gap, allowing developers to build and deploy custom applications entirely within the secure Databricks environment. According to Donald Farmer, founder and principal of TreeHive Strategy, Databricks Apps removes obstacles like the need to set up separate infrastructure for development and deployment, making the process easier and more efficient. The new features allow companies to go beyond implementing AI/ML models and create differentiated applications that leverage their unique data sets. Kevin Petrie, an analyst at BARC U.S., highlighted the significance of Databricks Apps in helping companies develop custom AI applications, which are essential for maintaining a competitive edge. Databricks, founded in 2013, was one of the pioneers of the data lakehouse storage format, and over the last two years, it has expanded its platform to focus on AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities. The company’s $1.3 billion acquisition of MosaicML in June 2023 was a key milestone in building its AI environment. Databricks has since launched DBRX, its own large language model, and introduced further functionalities through product development. Databricks Apps, now available in public preview on AWS and Azure, advances these AI development capabilities, simplifying the process of building applications within a single platform. Developers can use frameworks like Dash, Flask, Gradio, Shiny, and Streamlit, or opt for integrated development environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code or PyCharm. The toolkit also provides prebuilt Python templates to accelerate development. Additionally, applications can be deployed and managed directly in Databricks, eliminating the need for external infrastructures. Databricks Apps includes security features such as access control and data lineage through the Unity Catalog. Farmer noted that the support for popular developer frameworks and the automatic provisioning of serverless compute could significantly impact the AI development landscape by reducing the complexity of deploying data architectures. While competitors like AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Snowflake have also made AI a key focus, Farmer pointed out that Databricks’ integration of AI tools into a unified platform sets it apart. Databricks Apps further enhances this competitive advantage. Despite the added capabilities of Databricks Apps, Petrie cautioned that developing generative AI applications still requires a level of expertise in data, AI, and the business domain. While Databricks aims to make AI more accessible, users will still need substantial knowledge to effectively leverage these tools. Databricks’ vice president of product management, Shanku Niyogi, explained that the new features in Databricks Apps were driven by customer feedback. As enterprise interest in AI grows, customers sought easier ways to develop and deploy internal data applications in a secure environment. Looking ahead, Databricks plans to continue investing in simplifying AI application development, with a focus on enhancing Mosaic AI and expanding its collaborative AI partner ecosystem. Farmer suggested that the company should focus on supporting nontechnical users and emerging AI technologies like multimodal models, which will become increasingly important in the coming years. The introduction of Databricks Apps marks a significant step forward in Databricks’ AI and machine learning strategy, offering users a more streamlined approach to building and deploying AI applications. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 4, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Snowflake

03Oct

Marc Benioff Interviewed

Salesforce, now one of the most influential companies in tech history, was founded by Marc Benioff after his successful tenure at Oracle. Having witnessed the potential of the internet, Benioff realized it would usher in a new era for delivering enterprise software through the cloud. However, this new approach demanded a complete overhaul of traditional business models, marketing strategies, and software development practices. Salesforce would embody this transformation, evolving over the decades into a platform supporting a diverse array of enterprise applications. Today, Salesforce’s flagship initiative is Agentforce, a pioneering wave of AI agents built on the Salesforce platform. This initiative, which I covered in detail earlier this month, exemplifies Benioff’s forward-thinking vision for AI. He passionately argues that Salesforce is well-positioned to lead in this space, and his insights on AI and its potential are as compelling as they are thought-provoking. Before diving into Agentforce and Benioff’s views on AI, it’s important to explore his early life and the founding of Salesforce. Benioff’s path to becoming the CEO of one of the most powerful software companies in the world was shaped by an early interest in technology. His first foray into software development was creating an app called “How to Juggle,” which he sold for to CLOAD Magazine in Goleta, California. This early success marked the beginning of a long career in tech. Benioff went on to establish an Atari game company called Liberty Software and later wrote assembly code for the Mac as part of an internship. Despite his success as a software developer, he transitioned to a leadership role after realizing his interest in the broader business of technology. He credits his time at Oracle, where he learned the intricacies of sales, marketing, and customer communication, as critical to shaping his vision for Salesforce. Oracle, during Larry Ellison’s prime, was an ideal place to hone these business skills, which Benioff would later apply to revolutionize the enterprise software space. With this foundation, Benioff founded Salesforce, a company that has fundamentally changed the way businesses engage with technology. The company’s success lies not just in its cloud-based software, but in its ongoing evolution to address new challenges, including the AI-powered Agentforce initiative, which stands at the forefront of Salesforce’s future growth. Benioff’s journey, from a young programmer to the CEO of a global tech giant, is a testament to his visionary approach and adaptability in an ever-changing tech landscape. Marc Benioff’s early entrepreneurial instincts were evident even before he fully embraced the title of entrepreneur. From a young age, he knew he wanted to build something of his own, though he hadn’t yet honed the full set of skills needed to succeed in business. He had a knack for technology, excelling as a programmer working in assembly code, but his mentors, including university professors and colleagues at Apple, recognized that being an entrepreneur required more than just technical ability. They encouraged him to develop his sales, marketing, and business acumen. His early exposure to these lessons was pivotal in shaping his future trajectory. Benioff’s transition from a programmer to a business leader began when he sought advice from Bill Jost at Apple, who connected him with Gary Gibson, an Oracle executive. After a memorable and unexpected interview, Benioff joined Oracle, starting with a role answering calls at the company’s 800-number. He quickly moved into sales and marketing, eventually working directly with Larry Ellison, who would become a significant mentor over the next 13 years. Benioff’s success at Oracle set the stage for his eventual departure to start Salesforce in 1999. In the mid-1990s, while at Oracle, Benioff had an epiphany while using a web browser. The internet was transforming how software could be delivered, and Benioff saw the potential for a new business model based on cloud computing. At this time, Oracle was focused on the network computer—a vision Benioff did not fully share. After discussing his ideas with Larry Ellison and taking some time off for reflection and research, Benioff recognized that the world was on the cusp of a major shift in technology. He felt compelled to create something new that would leverage the internet, offering software over the web through a subscription model. During his time off, Benioff traveled to Hawaii, reflecting on the future of the tech industry and contemplating ideas. He also experimented with domain names, purchasing You.com and later gifting it to a friend who turned it into a search and AI company. Benioff returned to Larry Ellison to share his vision of a cloud-based business model and later found inspiration from spiritual gurus during a trip to India, who reminded him that success in business should also be grounded in positive values. Benioff’s experience led to the founding of Salesforce with its revolutionary 1-1-1 Model—dedicating 1% of equity, profit, and employee time to philanthropy. Salesforce also embraced emerging technologies such as social, mobile, and AI, and created a new business model through subscription-based services. This combination of technological innovation and a strong sense of social responsibility has set Salesforce apart, attracting both admiration and emulation from other companies. Benioff’s Career Benioff’s career is a testament to the power of surrounding oneself with great people, continuing to learn, and having a clear vision. His leadership at Salesforce has been guided by values he believes are crucial to the company’s success and its ability to make a positive impact on the world. His insights on the Innovator’s Dilemma, a concept popularized by Clayton Christensen, highlight the challenges companies face as they evolve with changing technologies. While Salesforce’s core principles remain intact, the company has continued to adapt to new technology paradigms, ensuring it remains at the forefront of innovation in the software industry. Marc Benioff (MB) recently shared his excitement about the future of AI and its potential to revolutionize business and technology. He explained that, from a business perspective, this is the most thrilling moment in his career. AI, according to him, will transform how enterprises operate, making them more cost-efficient,

October 3, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data, Enterprise, Google, Hyperforce, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Snowflake, Technology

01Oct

Salesforce Data Cloud Innovations Announced

Salesforce Data Cloud Drives Customer Experience Transformation with New Data and AI Innovations Salesforce has unveiled new innovations within its Data Cloud, enhancing the way organizations transform customer experiences by leveraging data and AI. Key advancements include expanded support for unstructured data, enabling native processing of audio and video content—such as webinars and calls—to unlock deeper insights into customer behavior. A standardized semantic data model ensures both Agentforce Agents and humans can consistently interpret and use data, while improved search capabilities enhance information discovery by factoring in customer context. Real-time data activations allow organizations to respond instantly to evolving customer needs, and new data security and governance features safeguard operations and prevent data exposure. “In this new era of AI and Agents, customer data and metadata are the new gold for the enterprise,” said Rahul Auradkar, EVP and GM for Data Cloud at Salesforce. “More companies are using Data Cloud to unify all their data—from customer interactions and product usage to IoT and social media data—gaining deeper insights across all touchpoints. Because Data Cloud is foundational to Salesforce, companies can act on this data to deliver personalized, meaningful customer experiences.” Data Cloud integrates with Salesforce Customer 360, Agentforce, Flow, and analytics, providing a trusted data foundation for personalized experiences and real-time analytics. It powers data-driven actions and workflows while securely enabling AI across all Salesforce applications. Leveraging zero-copy technology and MuleSoft connectors, Data Cloud can ingest data from hundreds of sources, including data lakes and warehouses. Integrated into the Salesforce Platform, this metadata seamlessly flows into Salesforce applications, governed by set policies. This gives every team a 360-degree customer view, driving AI, automation, and analytics without compromising security. Data Cloud also enhances Agentforce, providing contextual insights and guiding next-best steps, like automating follow-up emails or sharing detailed chat summaries with human agents. Tableau Semantics bridges the gap between AI and employees, ensuring they operate with consistent data definitions. The following new Data Cloud features will be available across various release stages: For more information, visit www.salesforce.com. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 1, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Technology

23Sep

Agentforce – AI’s New Role in Sales and Service

From Science Fiction to Reality: AI’s Game-Changing Role in Service and Sales AI for service and sales has reached a critical tipping point, driving rapid innovation. At Dreamforce in San Francisco, hosted by Salesforce we explored how Salesforce clients are leveraging CRM, Data Cloud, and AI to extract real business value from their Salesforce investments. In previous years, AI features branded under “Einstein” had been met with skepticism. These features, such as lead scoring, next-best-action suggestions for service agents, and cross-sell/upsell recommendations, often required substantial quality data in the CRM and knowledge base to be effective. However, customer data was frequently unreliable, with duplicate records and missing information, and the Salesforce knowledge base was underused. Building self-service capabilities with chatbots was also challenging, requiring accurate predictions of customer queries and well-structured decision trees. This year’s Dreamforce revealed a transformative shift. The advancements in AI, especially for customer service and sales, have become exceptionally powerful. Companies now need to take notice of Salesforce’s capabilities, which have expanded significantly. Agentforce – AI’s New Role in Sales and Service Some standout Salesforce features include: At Dreamforce, we participated in a workshop where they built an AI agent capable of responding to customer cases using product sheets and company knowledge within 90 minutes. This experience demonstrated how accessible AI solutions have become, no longer requiring developers or LLM experts to set up. The key challenge lies in mapping external data sources to a unified data model in Data Cloud, but once achieved, the potential for customer service and sales is immense. How AI and Data Integrate to Transform Service and Sales Businesses can harness the following integrated components to build a comprehensive solution: Real-World Success and AI Implementation OpenTable shared a successful example of building an AI agent for its app in just two months, using a small team of four. This was a marked improvement from the company’s previous chatbot projects, highlighting the efficiency of the latest AI tools. Most CEOs of large enterprises are exploring AI strategies, whether by developing their own LLMs or using pre-existing models. However, many of these efforts are siloed, and engineering costs are high, leading to clunky transitions between AI and human agents. Tectonic is well-positioned to help our clients quickly deploy AI-powered solutions that integrate seamlessly with their existing CRM and ERP systems. By leveraging AI agents to streamline customer interactions, enhance sales opportunities, and provide smooth handoffs to human agents, businesses can significantly improve customer experiences and drive growth. Tectonic is ready to help businesses achieve similar success with AI-driven innovation. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 23, 2024in Agentforce Platform, AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Marketing Automation, Salesforce, Salesforce Financial Services Solutions, Salesforce for Nonprofits, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Hospitality Travel and Transportation, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Manufacturing Automotive Energy, Salesforce Optimization, Salesforce Public Sector Solutions, Snowflake

15Sep

Cross Cloud Zero-Copy Data

Simplifying Secure Data Access Across Clouds In today’s data-driven world, secure and prompt access to information is crucial. However, with critical analytics data spread across various cloud vendors, achieving this expediency can be challenging. Cross-cloud zero-copy data sharing doesn’t have to be complex. By leveraging your Autonomous Database, you can swiftly establish secure data sharing with your Salesforce CRM Data Stream in just seconds. This guide will walk you through the straightforward process of connecting your Salesforce CRM data to your Autonomous Database using the Salesforce CRM data connector type. Requirements for Salesforce Integration To connect Salesforce CRM data with your Autonomous Database, you’ll need the following: 1. Confirm Data Stream Configuration On the Data Streams Dashboard, verify the Data Stream Name, Data Connector Type, and Data Stream Status. 2. Set Up Your Autonomous Database Create Your Credentials: sqlCopy codeBEGIN DBMS_CLOUD.CREATE_CREDENTIAL( credential_name => ‘<your credential name>’, username => ‘<your salesforce log-in id>’, password => ‘<your salesforce password>’); END; / Create Your Database Link: sqlCopy codeBEGIN DBMS_CLOUD_ADMIN.CREATE_DATABASE_LINK( db_link_name => ‘<your database link name>’, hostname => ‘<your host>.my.salesforce.com’, port => ‘19937’, service_name => ‘salesforce’, ssl_server_cert_dn => NULL, credential_name => ‘<your credential name>’, gateway_params => JSON_OBJECT( ‘db_type’ value ‘salesforce’, ‘security_token’ value ‘<your security token>’)); END; / 3. Check Connectivity Details The HETEROGENEOUS_CONNECTIVITY_INFO view provides information on credential and database link requirements for external databases. For example: sqlCopy codeSELECT database_type, required_port, sample_usage FROM heterogeneous_connectivity_info WHERE database_type = ‘salesforce’; 4. Demonstration: Connecting to Salesforce Data Follow these steps to connect to your Salesforce CRM organization using the Salesforce Data Cloud Sales synthetic data in the Account_Home Data Stream: 5. Set Up Connectivity Using DBMS_CLOUD.CREATE_CREDENTIAL, create the necessary credentials to connect to Salesforce. Then, use DBMS_CLOUD_ADMIN.CREATE_DATABASE_LINK to establish the database link. Once configured, execute the SELECT statement against the ACCOUNT data to verify successful connection. 6. Utilize Zero-Copy Data Sharing With zero-copy data access to the Salesforce CRM Data Lake ACCOUNT object, you can: Conclusion As demonstrated, secure and efficient cross-cloud zero-copy data access can be straightforward. By following these simple steps, you can bypass cumbersome ETL operations and gain immediate, secure access to your Salesforce CRM data. This approach eliminates the overhead of complex data pipelines and provides you with real-time access to critical business data. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 15, 2024in Salesforce Data Cloud

04Sep

Data Integration with AWS Glue

The rapid rise of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions has led to data silos across different platforms, making it challenging to consolidate insights. Effective data analytics depends on the ability to seamlessly integrate data from various systems by identifying, gathering, cleansing, and combining it into a unified format. AWS Glue, a serverless data integration service, simplifies this process with scalable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions for unifying data from multiple sources. By using AWS Glue, organizations can streamline data integration, minimize silos, and enhance agility in managing data pipelines, unlocking the full potential of their data for analytics, decision-making, and innovation. This insight explores the new Salesforce connector for AWS Glue and demonstrates how to build a modern Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) pipeline using AWS Glue ETL scripts. Introducing the Salesforce Connector for AWS Glue To meet diverse data integration needs, AWS Glue now supports SaaS connectivity for Salesforce. This enables users to quickly preview, transfer, and query customer relationship management (CRM) data, while dynamically fetching the schema. With the Salesforce connector, users can ingest and transform CRM data and load it into any AWS Glue-supported destination, such as Amazon S3, in preferred formats like Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi, and Delta Lake. It also supports reverse ETL use cases, enabling data to be written back to Salesforce. Key Benefits: Solution Overview For this use case, we retrieve the full load of a Salesforce account object into a data lake on Amazon S3 and capture incremental changes. The solution also enables updates to certain fields in the data lake and synchronizes them back to Salesforce. The process involves creating two ETL jobs using AWS Glue with the Salesforce connector. The first job ingests the Salesforce account object into an Apache Iceberg-format data lake on Amazon S3. The second job captures updates and pushes them back to Salesforce. Prerequisites: Creating the ETL Pipeline Step 1: Ingest Salesforce Account Object Using the AWS Glue console, create a new job to transfer the Salesforce account object into an Apache Iceberg-format transactional data lake in Amazon S3. The script checks if the account table exists, performs an upsert if it does, or creates a new table if not. Step 2: Push Changes Back to Salesforce Create a second ETL job to update Salesforce with changes made in the data lake. This job writes the updated account records from Amazon S3 back to Salesforce. Example Query sqlCopy codeSELECT id, name, type, active__c, upsellopportunity__c, lastmodifieddate FROM “glue_etl_salesforce_db”.”account”; Additional Considerations You can schedule the ETL jobs using AWS Glue job triggers or integrate them with other AWS services like AWS Lambda and Amazon EventBridge for advanced workflows. Additionally, AWS Glue supports importing deleted Salesforce records by configuring the IMPORT_DELETED_RECORDS option. Clean Up After completing the process, clean up the resources used in AWS Glue, including jobs, connections, Secrets Manager secrets, IAM roles, and the S3 bucket to avoid incurring unnecessary charges. Conclusion The AWS Glue connector for Salesforce simplifies the analytics pipeline, accelerates insights, and supports data-driven decision-making. Its serverless architecture eliminates the need for infrastructure management, offering a cost-effective and agile approach to data integration, empowering organizations to efficiently meet their analytics needs. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 4, 2024in Salesforce

26Aug

Unlocking Enterprise AI Success

Companies are diving into artificial intelligence. Unlocking enterprise AI success depends on four main factors. Tectonic is here to help you address each. Trust is Important-Trust is Everything Data is everything—it’s reshaping business models and steering the world through health and economic challenges. But data alone isn’t enough; in fact, it can be worse than useless—it’s a risk unless it’s trustworthy. The solution lies in a data trust strategy: one that maximizes data’s potential to create value while minimizing the risks associated with it. Data Trust is Declining, Not Improving Do you believe your company is making its data and data practices more trustworthy? If so, you’re in line with most business leaders. However, there’s a disconnect: consumers don’t share this belief. While 55% of business leaders think consumers trust them with data more than they did two years ago, only 21% of consumers report increased trust in how companies use their data. In fact, 28% say their trust has decreased, and a staggering 76% of global consumers view sharing their data with companies as a “necessary evil.” For companies that manage to build trust in their data, the benefits are substantial. Yet, only 37% of companies with a formal data valuation process involve privacy teams. Integrating privacy is just one aspect of building data trust, but companies that do so are already more than twice as likely as their peers to report returns on investment from key data-driven initiatives, such as developing new products and services, enhancing workforce effectiveness, and optimizing business operations. To truly excel, companies need to create an ongoing system that continually transforms raw information into trusted, business-critical data. Data is the Backbone-Data is the Key Data leaks, as shown below, are a major factor on data trust and quality. As bad as leaked data is to security, data availability is to being a data-driven organization. Extortionist Attack on Costa Rican Government Agencies In an unprecedented event in April 2022, the extortionist group Conti launched a cyberattack on Costa Rican government agencies, demanding a million ransom. The attack crippled much of the country’s IT infrastructure, leading to a declared state of emergency. Lapsus$ Attacks on Okta, Nvidia, Microsoft, Samsung, and Other Companies The Lapsus$ group targeted several major IT companies in 2022, including Okta, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Samsung. Earlier in the year, Okta, known for its account and access management solutions—including multi-factor authentication—was breached. Attack on Swissport International Swissport International, a Swiss provider of air cargo and ground handling services operating at 310 airports across 50 countries, was hit by ransomware. The attack caused numerous flight delays and resulted in the theft of 1.6 TB of data, highlighting the severe consequences of such breaches on global logistics. Attack on Vodafone Portugal Vodafone Portugal, a major telecommunications operator, suffered a cyberattack that disrupted services nationwide, affecting 4G and 5G networks, SMS messaging, and TV services. With over 4 million cellular subscribers and 3.4 million internet users, the impact was widespread across Portugal. Data Leak of Indonesian Citizens In a massive breach, an archive containing data on 105 million Indonesian citizens—about 40% of the country’s population—was put up for sale on a dark web forum. The data, believed to have been stolen from the “General Election Commission,” included full names, birth dates, and other personal information. The Critical Importance of Accurate Data There’s no shortage of maxims emphasizing how data has become one of the most vital resources for businesses and organizations. At Tectonic, we agree that the best decisions are driven by accurate and relevant data. However, we also caution that simply having more data doesn’t necessarily lead to better decision-making. In fact, we argue that data accuracy is far more important than data abundance. Making decisions based on incorrect or irrelevant data is often worse than having too little of the right data. This is why accurate data is crucial, and we’ll explore this concept further in the following sections. Accurate data is information that truly reflects reality or another source of truth. It can be tested against facts or evidence to verify that it represents something as it actually is, such as a person’s contact details or a location’s coordinates. Accuracy is often confused with precision, but they are distinct concepts. Precision refers to how consistent or varied values are relative to one another, typically measured against some other variable. Thus, data can be accurate, precise, both, or neither. Another key factor in data accuracy is the time elapsed between when data is produced and when it is collected and used. The shorter this time frame, the more likely the data is to be accurate. As modern businesses integrate data into more aspects of their operations, they stand to gain significant competitive advantages if done correctly. However, this also means there’s more at stake if the data is inaccurate. The following points will highlight why accurate data is critical to various facets of your company. Ease and speed of access Access speeds are measured in bytes per second (Bps). Slower devices operate in thousands of Bps (kBps), while faster devices can reach millions of Bps (MBps). For example, a hard drive can read and write data at speeds of 300MBps, which is 5,000 times faster than a floppy disk! Fast data refers to data in motion, streaming into applications and computing environments from countless endpoints—ranging from mobile devices and sensor networks to financial transactions, stock tick feeds, logs, retail systems, and telco call routing and authorization systems. Improving data access speeds can significantly enhance operational efficiency by providing timely and accurate data to stakeholders throughout an organization. This can streamline business processes, reduce costs, and boost productivity. However, data access is not just about retrieving information. It plays a crucial role in ensuring data integrity, security, and regulatory compliance. Effective data access strategies help organizations safeguard sensitive information from unauthorized access while making it readily available to those who are authorized. Additionally, the accuracy and availability of data are essential to prevent data silos

August 26, 2024in Salesforce

13Jun

Zero ETL

What is Zero-ETL? Zero-ETL represents a transformative approach to data integration and analytics by bypassing the traditional ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipeline. Unlike conventional ETL processes, which involve extracting data from various sources, transforming it to fit specific formats, and then loading it into a data repository, Zero-ETL eliminates these steps. Instead, it enables direct querying and analysis of data from its original source, facilitating real-time insights without the need for intermediate data storage or extensive preprocessing. This innovative method simplifies data management, reducing latency and operational costs while enhancing the efficiency of data pipelines. As the demand for real-time analytics and the volume of data continue to grow, ZETL offers a more agile and effective solution for modern data needs. Challenges Addressed by Zero-ETL Benefits of ZETL Use Cases for ZETL In Summary ZETL transforms data management by directly querying and leveraging data in its original format, addressing many limitations of traditional ETL processes. It enhances data quality, streamlines analytics, and boosts productivity, making it a compelling choice for modern organizations facing increasing data complexity and volume. Embracing Zero-ETL can lead to more efficient data processes and faster, more actionable insights, positioning businesses for success in a data-driven world. Components of Zero-ETL ZETL involves various components and services tailored to specific analytics needs and resources: Advantages and Disadvantages of ZETL Comparison: Z-ETL vs. Traditional ETL Feature Zero-ETL Traditional ETL Data Virtualization Seamless data duplication through virtualization May face challenges with data virtualization due to discrete stages Data Quality Monitoring Automated approach may lead to quality issues Better monitoring due to discrete ETL stages Data Type Diversity Supports diverse data types with cloud-based data lakes Requires additional engineering for diverse data types Real-Time Deployment Near real-time analysis with minimal latency Batch processing limits real-time capabilities Cost and Maintenance More cost-effective with fewer components More expensive due to higher computational and engineering needs Scale Scales faster and more economically Scaling can be slow and costly Data Movement Minimal or no data movement required Requires data movement to the loading stage Comparison: Zero-ETL vs. Other Data Integration Techniques Top Zero-ETL Tools Conclusion Transitioning to Zero-ETL represents a significant advancement in data engineering. While it offers increased speed, enhanced security, and scalability, it also introduces new challenges, such as the need for updated skills and cloud dependency. Zero-ETL addresses the limitations of traditional ETL and provides a more agile, cost-effective, and efficient solution for modern data needs, reshaping the landscape of data management and analytics. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

June 13, 2024in Snowflake

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