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Key Criteria for Evaluating Streaming Data Platformsv2.0

An Evaluation Guide for Technology Decision Makers

Table of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. Streaming Data Platforms Primer
  3. Report Methodology
  4. Decision Criteria Analysis
  5. Evaluation Metrics
  6. Key Criteria: Impact Analysis
  7. Analyst’s Take
  8. About Andrew Brust

1. Summary

The data world is dynamic. When it comes to data processing, the needs of enterprises keep changing as data volumes increase and modes of storing and accessing data evolve and grow in number.

In recent years, the need to process streaming data in-flight from sensors, log files, Web applications, and other sources has been gaining importance. This is due to the increased adoption of IoT devices, development of 5G networks, and the large amount of data “exhaust” that is generated by user activity and interaction with online and mobile platforms.

These seemingly never-ending data streams drive new business requirements to process data, resulting in increased momentum away from batch-only processing to a mix of batch and ever-more common stream processing. This trend is especially strong for specific industries and use cases.

Streaming data platforms enable users to combine and process real-time data from multiple sources. They aid processes like data ingestion, data enrichment, data classification, and prediction. In return, they increase the productivity level of users by assisting them in iterative tasks.

Yes, there are open-source solutions for handling these workloads. However, full streaming data platforms provide fully-managed, unified solutions for the ingest and processing of real-time data. Users of these platforms are empowered to make better-informed business decisions and reach deeper data-driven insights than would be possible with batch data processing alone.

When evaluating vendor offerings, it’s essential to know what to look for and what to expect from a streaming data platform. Decision makers should also consider their company needs, goals, budget, and their employees’ skill sets.

This key criteria report will help enterprise buyers become familiar with streaming data platforms and vendor offerings.

How to Read this Report

This GigaOm report is one of a series of documents that helps IT organizations assess competing solutions in the context of well-defined features and criteria. For a fuller understanding, consider reviewing the following reports:

Key Criteria report: A detailed market sector analysis that assesses the impact that key product features and criteria have on top-line solution characteristics—such as scalability, performance, and TCO—that drive purchase decisions.

GigaOm Radar report: A forward-looking analysis that plots the relative value and progression of vendor solutions along multiple axes based on strategy and execution. The Radar report includes a breakdown of each vendor’s offering in the sector.

Solution Profile: An in-depth vendor analysis that builds on the framework developed in the Key Criteria and Radar reports to assess a company’s engagement within a technology sector. This analysis includes forward-looking guidance around both strategy and product.