A host of questions surround the implementation of data virtualization and, as the concept becomes commonplace, more businesses need answers and assistance with adapting this method.
To address these issues, Lindy Ryan, research director for Radiant Advisors' Data Discovery and Visualization Practice, will present Data Summit 2015 attendees with a toolkit for adopting data virtualization.
The two-day Data Summit, which will be held Tuesday, May 12, through Wednesday, May 13, and preceded by a day of workshops on Monday, May 11, will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown.
“Radiant Advisors recognized that data virtualization is a topic that has lots and lots of questions from figuring out how to articulate it to getting the business support, to socializing it in the business to implement it,” Ryan said.
Ryan will present “Data Virtualization for Data Discovery” alongside Anne Buff, business solutions manager for SAS best practices at the SAS Institute, on Wednesday, May 13, at 10:45 am as part of Virtualization Day at Data Summit.
While Buff will explore the advantages of data virtualization and cloud technologies, in a presentation, titled, “What Virtualization and the Cloud Have to Offer,” Ryan will discuss how to overcome various obstacles in implementing data virtualization. Additionally, Ryan will be moderating a Hadoop Day panel.
Last year, Ryan worked with Cisco to research the top three hurdles to implementing data virtualization, and continues to work on issues with organizations along with sharing tips on how to help businesses successfully virtualize their data.
“This year we’ve been working on a socialization plan for data virtualization within the organization,” Ryan said. “Basically, it’s a toolkit which builds off our previous research in overcoming those barriers.”
The toolkit is a communication plan to socialize data virtualization by talking to business people from the perspective on how the method will impact their lives, Ryan explained.
“We’re aligning what data virtualization can do, the benefit and opportunities of it and how those align back to the business drivers,” Ryan said. “The kit also has a little bit of an implementation strategy.”
A common barrier to data virtualization that Ryan has seen is the difficulty of articulating the value proposition of the method. Additional obstacles include identifying the use case, assigning roles and responsibilities, and vendor selection, she said.
Ryan’s presentation comes at a time when the increasing size and complexity of data is a strain on IT resources and companies are being inundated with different options.
“It’s a little bit of a nebulous concept, especially to a non-technical group,” Ryan said. “You have to see it to believe it. It’s not a concept that translates well from IT folks to business executives who have no idea or understanding of this infrastructure.”
Ryan said she is looking forward presenting solutions to virtualization problems at Data Summit 2015. Because it will provide true peer-to-peer networking, making it more personalized and enabling more individualized learning. “That’s one of the things I enjoy about Data Summit events.”
For more information about Data Summit and to register for the event, visit www.dbta.com/DataSummit/2015.