The Methodology to Selecting a Data Platform Published by Info-Tech Research Group

TORONTO, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has released a new research blueprint to help organizations select a data platform. The blueprint will allow IT leaders to make complex tasks simpler by applying the firm's proven methodology.

Technology requirements start with business goals. Every organization needs a data management (DM) platform that enables its required DM capabilities. However, selecting a platform can be a daunting task since every organization has a unique set of requirements.

"A data platform includes many components," says Research Director Igor Ikonnikov. "The right composition reflects the data management capabilities required by the organization, and every organization has its own priorities and particularities. How do you translate strategy goals into data management capabilities? How do you design the right data platform to enable these capabilities? What are the best practices in architectural design?"

Info-Tech recommends that data platform selection should be based on common best practices and, at the same time, be optimized for the organization's specific needs and goals and support an evolutionary platform development. What is best for one organization may be unacceptable for another, all for very valid reasons.

The selection of a data platform is further complicated by software vendors' desire to get as large a footprint as possible. Products from different categories can offer the same functionalities, capabilities can be found in products with quite different price ranges, and some solutions are just not compatible with each other.

"Technology enablement also has variability: Many vendors provide overlapping capabilities, so how do you avoid buying the same functionality twice and, at the same time, avoid leaving gaps?" adds Research Director Rajesh Parab. "This new research blueprint helps answer the above questions. It's based on architectural best practices while accommodating an organization's specific needs and goals and supporting an evolutionary platform development."

Organizations that use Info-Tech's methodology to select a data platform will see the following IT and business benefits:

• Data architecture patterns can help select the target data platform
• Minimized overlapping functionalities across the set of technologies that compose a data platform
• Optimal architectural technology compatibility
• Minimized expense and effort and maximized data management enablement
• Technology that fits the desired business outcomes
• Best practices in technology enablement rather than technology hype

The research blueprint follows a holistic methodology that allows IT leaders to understand their goals and priorities, picture a target-state architecture, and identify current technology coverage. Info-Tech recommends organizations consider the following approach:

1. Assess the current data environment and identify capabilities and desired outcomes.
2. Find and select the right reference architecture pattern.
3. Match the identified capabilities with software features and create a shortlist of vendors that cover all the organization's data platform requirements.

To learn more about Info-Tech Research Group and to download the latest research, visit www.infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Media professionals are encouraged to register for Info-Tech's Media Insiders program for more research and insights. This program provides unrestricted, on-demand access to IT, HR, and software industry content and subject matter experts from a group of more than 200 research analysts. To apply for access, contact [email protected].

Supporting Resources

• View and download the complete Select Your Data Platform blueprint.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the world's fastest-growing information technology research and advisory firm, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. Info-Tech partners closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group