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What Is Big Data as a Service (BDaaS)?

Information is one of the most valuable commodities today. Companies have created entire systems that are able to collect, analyze, update, and store data in order to ensure they can use them to optimize their profitability.

Big data is even more complex information that traditional data-processing systems cannot fully comprehend and analyze. It generally arrives in more significant volumes and is more diverse.

For this reason, tools like Big Data as a Service (BDaaS) are often used by an organization that wants greater control over its data and utilizes them more efficiently.

Table of Contents

What Is Big Data as a Service BDaaS?

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BDaaS is another cloud computing service model specializing in providing tools and services that collect, analyze and store big data sets.

Much like other cloud computing service models like PaaS, SaaS, and DaaS, among others, the BDaaS market is a pay-as-you-go system that helps organizations control their data and use them to optimize their operations. It is usually managed and maintained by a service or BDaaS provider and the user pays a subscription fee for its BDaaS solution.

A BDaaS solution generally includes several big data solutions, each with its very own specific function. For this reason, BDaaS is mainly considered an umbrella term that includes several other different cloud computing service models.

For example, Hadoop as a service (HaaS) is a big data analytics solution that stores and analyzes data using the data management platform Apache Hadoop. Data as a Service (DaaS) is a distribution system that delivers data files to customers online.

Data Analytics as a Service (DAaaS) is an analytical platform where modifiable analytical tools can process and analyze large quantities of data.

Types of Big Data as a Service

There are a few different types of cloud-based big data service options.

Core BDaaS

Core BDaaS is a more basic type of service model that uses data management platforms such as Hadoop, YARN, and HDFS. Companies usually prefer them due to their open-source availability and functional management of irregular workloads.

Performance BDaaS

Much like Core BDaaS, Performance BDaaS uses a basic infrastructure. However, it differs because it uses tools to optimize performance for specific purposes. Performance BDaaS bets suit newer organizations that might be advancing quickly and cannot deal with the complex tasks of building and maintaining their data architecture.

Feature BDaaS

Feature BDaaS is a good alternative for organizations looking for functions beyond what Hadoop offers. For example, if you are looking for different tasks related to upscaling data storage, then Feature BDaaS is the best choice.

Integrated BDaaS

There is also the option of Integrated BDaaS, which, while not yet available, would integrate the functions of Performance BDaaS with those of Feature BDaaS.

Benefits & Pitfalls of Big Data as a Service

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Let’s look at some of the benefits of Big Data as a Service.

A significant advantage of a big data solution is that companies are not required to manage the infrastructure, as it is taken care of specifically by the service provider. Big data functions also include any technical assistance needed regarding the infrastructure, as the user has access to a variety of services by the provider, which are included in the subscription fee.

This also allows for stabilizing costs, considering that the expenses spent every month remain the same. It is unlike other organizations that do not employ cloud computing services and might have to deal with many unexpected expenses.

Of course, there is the issue of technical competence. For many, the fact that company employees do not have to have expertise in big data due to the all-encompassing service offered by the BDaaS provider is a significant advantage.

However, when company employees do not get hands-on experience and rely on the service provider’s experts to assist them with any issues, this creates a particular type of dependency.

Over-relying on the service provider for most of the system’s functions can quickly lead to vendor lock-in.

Top BDaaS Providers

Let’s take a look at the top companies that offer Big Data as a Service.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is an American-based multinational company specializing in Information Technology, specifically for business purposes. It is a well-known cloud computing service provider and a leading edge-to-cloud Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) supplier.

International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation

IBM Corporation is an international technology corporation supplying software, hardware, middleware, hosting, consulting services and much more. In terms of BDaaS, the IBM Corporation also offers data storage and management resources. IBM provides analytic solutions to develop, manage, and inspect a Hadoop data lake.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon, also offers on-demand cloud computing services through a subscription-based system. Through AWS, users get access to a big data platform, Amazon Elastic MapReduce (Amazon EMR), specializing in quickly processing large amounts of complex data. With Amazon EMR, users can also access several open source tools such as Apache Spark, Apache HBase, and others.

Cloudera

Cloudera is another American company that is also quite efficient in handling big data. It oversees the creation and operation of big data lakes and machine learning services without the need to integrate data platform software. Cloudera has also partnered with IBM for some of its services related to data analytics.

Google LLC

Google offers cloud computing services with Google Cloud Dataproc, a service that utilizes Spark and Hadoop for batch processing, machine learning, business intelligence, and much more. The Dataproc automation capabilities allow you to create and manage clusters automatically.

Microsoft Corporation

One of the world’s largest and most successful IT businesses, Microsoft is also a leader in cloud computing services with Microsoft Azure (also known as simply Azure).

Specifically, the Azure HDInsight, an open-source cloud distribution with Hadoop elements, allows users to quickly process large amounts of data in a customizable environment. It enables companies and organizations actionable insight to streamline costs and accelerate the data processing procedures.

Conclusion

Big Data as a Service (BDaaS) is a cloud computing service model that enables businesses to properly manage massive amounts of data and data analysis. There are a few different types of BDaaS, including Core, Performance, and Feature.

Among the many benefits of BDaaS for an organization is that since it is an on-demand service, the service provider is responsible for managing the infrastructure. Therefore, this enables companies to focus on more urgent everyday matters rather than tedious and complex infrastructure-related tasks.

Finally, many well-known service providers for these big data functions include Microsoft, Google, Amazon, HPE, IBM, and Cloudera.

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