Big data is more than a buzz word. It’s the reality of our data growing exponentially every year. The steady, rapid growth of data is moving organizations into terabytes of stored information that can be analyzed. Data security is also top of mind with headlines announcing the latest news of data breaches, losses and leaks. And let’s not forget the importance of making data available for team collaboration. If capacity, speed, security and collaboration are priority one for your organization, you may benefit from a more robust version of IDEA – IDEA Server software. It’s the next step in the evolution of data analytics – sort of like having IDEA in a private cloud. IDEA Server moves task processing off the PC and puts it on your organization’s server to deliver these results:
Speed & Capacity
IDEA Server processes mega-data sets in a fraction of the time it takes using the desktop version of IDEA. Users have confirmed that IDEA Server reduced tasks that once took days to process to completion in a few hours. The chart below shows how smaller data sets (20GB) can be processed in minutes instead of hours. If your organization handles massive amounts of data for analysis, IDEA Server enhances your capacity from megabytes on the desktop to gigabytes and terabytes on the server.
Performance
To match the power available with IDEA Server, you would need 25 workstations. To match the bandwidth, you would need 6 high-end workstations.
IDEA Server is comprised of Task Manager software, and one or more installations of Task Server software. The Task Manager examines the load on each Task Server to determine which machine should service the request in order to maximize processing speed. You can add more Task Servers as business needs change. Plus, IDEA Server maintains the familiar, easy to use IDEA interface so all users benefit from the full use of all available features and functionality without needing additional training. Unlike workstations, servers are constantly on and available making automation and scheduling of routine analysis projects ideal with IDEA Server. Results are produced during off-hours and skilled staff can focus on root cause analysis; man hours to identify results can be reduced by 1000% or more.
“IDEA Server has allowed us to better control and monitor disk usage and to share processing power amongst several users.” –Director of IT Services
“Analytics optimization allowed us to deliver 2 to 3 times faster performance in average on the platform, compared to last year’s results.” – Systems Administrator
Could IDEA Server be right for your organization?
Check out our list of 7 Signs You Need IDEA Server.
Collaboration
One of the biggest benefits IDEA Server offers is secure collaboration for the entire workgroup, whether working remotely or even globally. Server is a high-performance analytical platform, designed to improve team productivity and provide these benefits:
- Greater access to data across individuals, teams, and those performing field work
- Work securely on projects, including sensitive data (i.e., SSNs, payroll, etc.)
- Establish more consistent and repeatable analytical processes
- Reduce variations in processes and share best practices
By using a centralized solution, productivity increases by sharing supporting materials, sample logic and source data. The real result is increased productivity and better results.
Security
When performing data analytics, there is an inherent risk of handling data that contains private information. IDEA Server helps you comply with high security constraints by adding an additional layer of security. Users must sign on to IDEA Server with a separate user ID and password. Projects can be open to all IDEA users or set up to allow access only to specific users, so confidential information, such as payroll audit data, remains private. IDEA Server also addresses IT concerns of data redundancy and network congestion by providing a single point of access to audit data, drawn from multiple systems. Once acquired, source data is not moved, altered, duplicated or deleted.