3 alarming signs that put the value of your data at risk

07/22/2024 |

Since the launch of Copilot, there has been no talk of anything else. However, there is another essential player on the AI board: data. Our Data and AI experts have identified 3 alarming signs that all organizations should take into account to know if they are putting the value of their data and, consequently, the security of the business at risk. Do you recognize any of them in your company?

Think about how much information your company generates: financial data, customer data, employee data…. The list could be (almost) endless. The value of this data is probably no longer news to you. In fact, many organizations have already begun to manage their data effectively in order to move from chaos to order and take advantage of its full potential. Or so they think. If you recognize any of these signs that put the value of your company’s data at risk, we’ll tell you how to solve them at the end of this article.

1. You do not manage the entire lifecycle of your data in a comprehensive manner.

To extract the maximum value from data, it must go through different phases from storage, transformation and enrichment to visualization. One of the main warning signs we have identified in companies is having multiple tools and technologies from different vendors that are not natively integrated with each other. This undoubtedly puts the value of your data at risk because it will not allow you to obtain the best results due to two fundamental reasons:

  • You are going to deal with more complexity: Not only technological integration but also specialist knowledge to be able to operate with the different systems.
  • You will not have a scalable model: Data generation in companies is increasing. You will have more and more data to manage, in dispersed systems and, consequently, a greater volume of data that requires prior processing to be useful. For this reason, the dispersion of tools makes it difficult to have a scalable model.

2. You are not taking advantage of the synergy between data and AI.

In the current context, another indication that they are not taking full advantage of the potential of your data, and therefore putting its value at risk, is if you have not started preparing to take advantage of artificial intelligence. The synergy between data and artificial intelligence is critical.

  • Data is essential to effectively take advantage of generative AI: As we said at the beginning, since the launch of Copilot there has been no talk of anything else because its potential to improve people’s productivity, efficiency and creativity is (almost) limitless. But if you want to get the most out of it, your data must be well labeled, accessible and properly protected.
  • Artificial intelligence enables advanced analytics: Obtaining information days, weeks or months after the fact is a model that has become obsolete for ambitious companies that really want to get the most out of their data. Combining the capabilities of artificial intelligence with the potential of data enables advanced analytics – such as being able to predict future events, or even obtain recommended actions to obtain desired results – for deeper, more accurate and actionable insights, as well as better, more informed, earlier and therefore more strategic decisions.

3. You do not have your data properly classified and protected.

Cybersecurity is a priority for organizations, especially now in a context marked by AI-powered cyberattacks, which are more sophisticated and dangerous than ever, and by cybersecurity regulations. Therefore, not adequately protecting your corporate data and information is a clear indication of risk.

  • You risk suffering a leak and/or leakage of confidential information or information of great strategic value for the company: It is essential to have a good information architecture with the appropriate permissions and a correct classification and labeling of sensitive content, such as confidential documents, to prevent access to unauthorized information and/or information leakage. In addition to having the necessary protection and response measures in case of an incident.
  • You expose yourself to fines and financial penalties for not complying with the security measures required by cybersecurity regulations such as the new European cybersecurity law, NIS2; the DORA regulation; or the well-known GDPR, among others.

How to get the most value from your data

It’s not an easy task. This is where technology and expertise make the difference between getting ahead or falling behind. Microsoft Fabric is the most complete data and analytics platform to get the most out of your data:

  • It allows you to manage in a unified way the entire lifecycle of your data because it integrates different services and solutions for each of the phases, from ingest, processing, storage, to analysis and visualization.
  • It makes it easy and simple to incorporate artificial intelligence by integrating seamlessly with Azure AI and including its own Copilot for Power BI.
  • Fabric is fully integrated with Microsoft’s security and compliance suite, which facilitates the implementation of information protection measures at rest and in transit, helping organizations comply with current regulations such as the NIS2 Act.

 

In Softeng, we accompany and advise you on the way to discover the true value of your data with a team of experts and the best technology. Let’s talk!

The limits of the magic of Copilot for Microsoft 365

06/18/2024 |

Since its release for companies of all sizes, Copilot for Microsoft 365 has become the album chrome that all IT leaders want to have. However, we have identified that many companies still have questions about the value it brings and its limitations. In this article, we share the limits of the magic of Copilot.

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is an assistant that does much more than compose emails and create presentations. But while it may seem like magic, it’s not magic yet. Many organizations often ask us what Copilot can and can’t do, and what real value it would bring to their teams. To manage expectations correctly and avoid frustration, here we share with you the limits of Copilot. magic of Copilot:

1. Copilot does not perform actions on its own

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is designed to help people perform specific tasks more efficiently, but it does not operate, analyze or decide in place of the user. For example, it can understand what you want to do and offer suggestions, but it will not perform actions for you. Although it is technically feasible for Copilot to perform actions on its own, Microsoft prevents it from performing actions directly, following its best practices for responsible use of AI that state that the user should always review their responses before sharing them with someone else. For example, if you are composing an important email and get stuck on the structure of the message, Copilot will give you intelligent suggestions in real time to improve your wording and make the message more effective, but you won’t be able to ask it to send it for you.

2. Copilot does not read the user’s mind

This means that Copilot cannot anticipate the user’s needs or intentions without clear and direct communication. This is why prompt engineering training of users is so important so that they know how to provide specific and detailed instructions in order to obtain the desired results.

3. Copilot does not learn from previous conversations

Copilot for Microsoft 365 saves all the conversations you have with each user. That is, if one day you get stuck halfway through asking it to finish refining an email, the next day you can pick up from where you left off. What it doesn’t do, however, is learn from conversations or maintain a global context: every time you interact with Copilot it’s as if it were the first time. For example, if one day you ask it to help you prepare a presentation and the next day you ask it to compose an email to send that presentation, Copilot will not remember which presentation it helped you prepare.

4. Copilot does not make decisions

Due to limitations in the volume of data it can process per query and the type of analysis it can perform, Copilot cannot make objective judgments and decisions because it cannot establish causal relationships. For advanced analysis, it is preferable to use specialized analytical models.

Want to know how to get the most out of Copilot for Microsoft 365 without getting frustrated along the way? Our AI experts have identified a number of real-world use cases that allow you to leverage Copilot’s potential in different business areas.

The 6 keys to protect your data and ensure secure adoption of Copilot

06/11/2024 |

One thing should be clear: artificial intelligence carries risks, but it is not dangerous in itself. That is, if it is not adopted safely, it will expose security breaches and vulnerabilities in your organization that you may never have taken into account until now. Not only that, but you will also face financial penalties if you do not comply with the new cybersecurity law, NIS2.

Discover in this article the consequences of not having the right data protection measures in the age of AI and the keys to mitigate them.

When adopting Copilot or other AI-powered tools, it is critical to identify those vulnerabilities and implement the right security measures to avoid being an easy victim of cyberattacks. But while this may seem overwhelming, it is not.

Risks of adopting Copilot without protection

One of the most common problems we have identified in organizations is the lack of controls to protect the data that employees share in artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot. Do you know if your users have access to sensitive information? Are you sure they don’t share it with outsiders? Do you have any idea if they use third-party artificial intelligence tools for their daily work tasks? According to Microsoft’s “2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report”, 78% of users already use AI tools at work on their own. And this is where another common concern arises: the lack of controls to govern information. This can result in users inadvertently leaking sensitive information, or accessing confidential reports they should not have access to.

How to avoid security risks

With all the artificial intelligence hype, many organizations have implemented Copilot for Microsoft 365 as quickly as possible without proper security measures in place. Others have decided to wait to prepare well first. Whatever situation your company is in, we’ve identified six essential measures, based on information access, data protection and its lifecycle, that every organization should put in place if it wants to implement Copilot in a secure and controlled manner.

Access to information

The first two measures relate to access to information: Who has access to what? To know this is fundamental:

  • Key 1: Review existing permits to identify irregularities and resolve them.
  • Key 2: Check the default permissions because sometimes, as in the case of Sharepoint online, they are the least restrictive.

Data protection

In terms of data protection, although they may seem like basic measures, many organizations still have a lot of unclassified information and files with the same level of privacy, which can result in users having easy access to documents with confidential information, such as payroll or invoices.

  • Key 3: Identify which documents contain sensitive information.
  • Key 4: Set the correct privacy level for each document.

The data life cycle

The last two keys are related to the data lifecycle, often forgotten by organizations.

  • Key 5: Properly manage disused Sharepoint sites.
  • Key 6: Manage and eliminate obsolete data.

If you are interested in learning more about these keys and how you can apply them in your company, we recommend our digital event with demo, in which our experts explain how to protect your organization’s data for a secure adoption of Copilot, complying with NIS2.

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How technology is key to competitive advantage

04/01/2024 |

Business leaders are challenged to make sound technology decisions that will enable them to move forward to take full advantage of generative artificial intelligence. But with so many tools and solutions available? How do you know which is the best option?

While digital innovation is advancing at an accelerated pace, especially in recent months with generative artificial intelligence, business leaders know they have no time to lose: they must make sound technological decisions that will allow them to remain competitive and not be left behind. However, so many tools and solutions available may generate more doubts than certainties. What is the best tool to get more value from my data? Which solution is best suited to protect my business assets? What is the fastest way to get started with generative AI?

One right decision, many advantages

Many organizations begin their transition to the cloud by opting for solutions from different vendors, which in the long run can result in a fragmented and complex multi-cloud environment, usually composed of disconnected solutions. However, it is best to consolidate all possible technological solutions on a single cloud platform because it simplifies the management of your entire environment, better integrates solutions and reduces costs, among other benefits. A smart decision is to choose the Microsoft cloud, which offers in an integrated way all the solutions needed to optimally modernize, govern and protect your infrastructure, apps, data and cybersecurity. Only in this way will you gain the necessary skills to move forward and take full advantage of generative artificial intelligence.

What are the differentiating factors of the Microsoft cloud?

  • Have a robust infrastructure with Microsoft Azure, which provides advanced security, compliance and governance tools to manage and protect all digital assets.
  • The ability to unify, process, transform and analyze data centrally with the Microsoft Fabric platform.
  • Creating intelligent applications and automating processes with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, efficiently connecting all business areas.
  • Integrated securitization and protection of all surfaces susceptible to attack through Microsoft’s holistic security platform.

All this powered by Microsoft Copilots, which facilitate the daily tasks performed within Microsoft solutions and applications. From improving the writing of an important document or searching for internal files in a matter of seconds, to writing code and receiving recommendations to automate the prevention and resolution of future attacks.

The importance of a specialist partner

Now you probably don’t know where to start. Some companies do not have the necessary technological resources or specialized equipment to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Microsoft cloud. For this reason, many choose a specialist partner to help them face the most complex challenges of digitalization and cybersecurity. In Softeng, we are dedicated exclusively to the Microsoft cloud and are one of its most qualified partners in Europe. Through our Softeng Max solution, we accompany ambitious companies so they can accelerate their digital innovation, protect their business and maximize the ROI of the cloud. Shall we move forward together?

The Essentials

The 9 steps to avoid being left behind in the age of AI

Discover them
tres cambios culturales que debe impulsar un líder de IT

3 cultural shifts an IT leader must drive in the age of AI

03/27/2024 |

The hype around generative artificial intelligence has created so many expectations that many business leaders want to implement it quickly in their organizations. However, it is paramount to first understand that to have the best results, a much deeper transformation based on simplification, data and cybersecurity is necessary.

Business leaders have a clear objective: to keep their organizations competitive. And to that end, many believe that early adoption of generative artificial intelligence is essential.

While this is true, it is not enough. To implement generative AI effectively, they must go much further, seeking to transform the mindset and way of working at all levels of the organization.

At Softeng, based on the experience with our customers and the knowhow of our experts, we have identified the 3 essential cultural shifts that IT leaders must prioritize to be ready and able to take full advantage of AI’s potential to keep their organizations competitive.

Culture of simplification

Digital innovation is advancing at an accelerated pace, and today it is more important than ever to have the necessary agility to avoid being left behind. However, in many companies there is a pervasive complexity at all levels, from their processes and organizational structure to the tools and solutions they use on a daily basis. And complexity is the antonym of competitiveness.

Therefore, business leaders are challenged to promote a culture of simplification that will enable their organizations to become more agile, efficient and innovative.

In IT, this cultural change starts with the technological foundations, i.e. the infrastructure.

The first challenge for technology leaders is to continue migrating their infrastructure to the cloud, which is also an essential pillar for adopting and making the most of artificial intelligence.

There are still some companies that have not fully migrated their infrastructure to the cloud for various reasons. For those in this situation, the smart thing to do is to continue with a hybrid transition that allows them to have the balance they need to embrace innovation, maintaining critical on-premise operations while gradually moving workloads to the cloud, as needs and priorities dictate.

However, the cloud can also generate that complexity that prevents us from moving forward, usually generated in fragmented multicloud environments that have solutions from different providers disconnected from each other.

As a result, many IT leaders are already betting on simplify your cloud environments by choosing a single vendor with integrated solutionsMicrosoft, which allows them to modernize, protect and govern their infrastructure, apps and data in the cloudThe company’s cloud and artificial intelligence capabilities can be fully leveraged from a single location.

Data culture

Today, making decisions without taking data into account is like going out to sea relying only on experience and wind direction. It can be done, but it has its limitations and can lead to extremely costly mistakes.

Data-driven organizations are those that derive value from their data to make faster, more informed decisions, improve operational efficiency, identify market opportunities and accelerate innovation. In addition, data is vitally important in the age of AI.

However, to get the most out of the data it is essential that it is orderly and accessible to everyone within the organization. From IT, the most effective strategy is to upload data to the cloud and use platforms, such as Microsoft Fabric, that make it easier to sort, transform and make decisions through data.

Cybersecurity culture

In a context where the increase in ransomware attacks continues to grow, along with other increasingly sophisticated and dangerous AI-powered cyberattacks, business leaders must promote a culture of awareness of the importance of cybersecurity.

At the highest levels, this will make them aware of the importance of investing in the right cybersecurity solutions before it’s too late, as a modern cyberSOC powered by AI capable of detecting and responding to incidents faster, improving accuracy and minimizing the effects of potential cyber-attacks.

In the rest of the organization, the human factor is often the weakest link in cybersecurity. You can have all the security measures in place, but a simple click from one of the people in your company on a malicious email could be chaotic. Therefore, it is essential that each member is aware of the most common cyber-attacks, adopts safe practices in the use of technology and recognizes that security is everyone’s responsibility.

In Softeng, we accompany companies with ambition to accelerate their digitization, get the most out of their data and protect their business assets, so that they are able to take advantage of the full potential of generative artificial intelligence.

Shall we move forward together?

Do you know what is essential to move forward on the AI path?

03/26/2024 |

The unstoppable advance of generative AI is pushing companies to adopt it as soon as possible to remain competitive. But are they properly prepared? Digitally ambitious leaders must have a good understanding of what is essential to move forward on the AI path with confidence and at the pace needed to avoid falling behind.

This technological advance has opened up a new world of opportunities. However, in order to move forward on the path of artificial intelligence, companies must face several challenges. Only those who understand what they need to make the most of their potential will be able to generate new competitive advantages for their business, thus making a difference.

Where do I start?

This is the first question that arises, and the answer is the cloud.

Based on our experience, we can identify two frequent scenarios in the first steps in the transition to the cloud. On the one hand, companies that have not yet completely migrated their infrastructure to the cloud for various reasons such as, for example, having on-premise systems that are not yet amortized or others. On the other hand, companies are starting to adopt cloud services from different providers at an accelerated pace, mistakenly believing that having a multi-cloud environment diversifies the risks associated with a single provider.

  • The transition to the cloud can be hybrid, as it allows you to start modernizing part of the environment while maintaining the on-premise infrastructure.
  • We recommend doing so with a single cloud provider to avoid the risks that a multicloud strategy can generate, i.e. a fragmented, complex environment with higher maintenance costs.

Simplifying the environment with a single cloud provider to manage everything from infrastructure, data, to cybersecurity, provides a critical operational advantage in terms of control, agility and cost to be able to take full advantage of AI.

How do I move forward?

Prioritizing data management and analysis.

Generative artificial intelligence draws on them to provide better answers, predictions and recommendations. But do we have our data ready? How can we empower them with AI?

The real value of data is not only the quantity, but the quality. Those companies that manage, store, organize and secure their data without losing control will be more prepared to take advantage of AI than others.

  • The essential thing is to upload the data to the cloud, which will allow us to have them better governed, protected and take advantage of advanced analysis tools to obtain insights that facilitate and speed up decision making.
  • Once we have our data ready and protected, we will be better able to identify the highest value use cases to implement solutions powered by generative AI.

But… Am I well protected?

Probably not.

The paradoxical power of AI to build, but also to destroy underscores the importance of having a robust cybersecurity strategy under constant review. It is not simply a matter of avoiding cyber-attacks, but of being well prepared for the possibility of their occurrence. At this point in the journey, it is essential to achieve cyber resilience. How?

  • Implementing layered protection to continuously secure and protect all exposed surfaces susceptible to attack.
  • Achieve complete defense through a modern AI-powered SOC capable of detecting and responding to incidents faster, improving accuracy and minimizing the effects of potential cyber-attacks.

All this, with the aim of building a digital fortress to have an environment that can continue to function in the face of any cyber-attack.

Keeping up with the pace is essential to stay ahead and not fall behind.

From Softeng we can accompany you on this path. Shall we talk?

IA generativa en automatización de procesos

How to implement generative AI to automate your business processes

12/11/2023 |

It is no longer news to say that generative artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work, create and, one might even say, live. Technology enthusiasts like us know that we are at a fascinating time from a technological point of view thanks to the infinite new possibilities that AI offers companies, especially when it comes to incorporating it into the automation of business processes. Generative AI is everywhere. You have probably already used ChatGPT to get inspired with new ideas, improve your texts or supplement information. Or, perhaps, you’ve tried Dall-e to create images from textual descriptions… Yes, this is all very useful, but its potential goes far beyond that for companies moving forward, with the goal of automating tasks and solving business problems and use cases, both common and specific.

The potential of generative AI in process automation

First, we must know what generative AI is intended for and what it is not intended for. Contrary to what many believe, this technology is not designed as a complete system for solving complex problems, making informed decisions or performing methodical and rational analysis of our data. However, it is designed to process text, audio and images – almost – as if a person did it. Therefore, when implementing generative AI in a digitized business process, it is essential to think of it as an important part of the process itself, but not as the only solution.

Use Cases: Maximizing Process Automation with Generative AI

Using existing generative AI chatbots

A few years ago, the word chatbot wasn’t so common, was it? But, nowadays, we already know what they are and they are present in our daily life interacting with them normally in e-commerce, customer service, etc. Chatbots created with generative AI, such as Chat GPT, are assistants that help us perform tasks more easily and quickly than if we were to do them without their help. In the field of process digitalization, there are already options created by Microsoft, such as the multiple Copilots of Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, which help us in specific tasks, such as summarizing a report, finding information quickly or generating ideas, among others.

Related article: Learn more about how to maximize your company’s efficiency with Dynamics 365.

Create your own generative AI chatbots

But in addition, many digitally ambitious companies have already started to deploy their own generative AI assistants to help them with various use cases. For example, you can reduce the workload of your helpdesk team by creating your own virtual customer service assistant; or improve personal productivity and organization with a customized chatbot for task management. The potential of creating your own virtual assistants is so great that we have an exclusive on-demand digital event on this topic, in which our experts explain through a demo, use cases and practical examples how you can adopt ChatGPT in your business.

On-demand event: Discover how to maximize the value of your data with advanced analytics and ChatGPT technologies. Access from here!

Specialized Artificial Intelligence Models

Now we have reached the most interesting part. The step beyond what we talked about at the beginning of this article: incorporating customized generative AI models as part of an already digitized process. What do we mean by this? That we can implement generative AI in our business processes to help us and assist us in any task where we need to process text, images or audios. AI can do this in an automated way, saving us time and improving process efficiency. Let’s bring it more down to earth… For example, generative AI models are used to:

  • Identify patterns in customer opinions about our company’s products, so that they can be categorized and segmented according to their interests.
  • To perform queries on proprietary knowledge bases, for example, industry compliance regulations or to extract contextualized information specific to our business.
  • Provide automatic first-level responses to requests from customers, suppliers and even employees.

How to create your own generative AI automation solution

As it could not be otherwise, the cloud ecosystem offered by Microsoft allows us to make everything we have explained a reality. Here, Power Platform allows us to extend the functionalities of Dynamics 365 to unsuspected limits to adapt it to our needs or even, not only to extend the capabilities of Dynamics 365, but also to incorporate more artificial intelligence systems to our business processes and use the power of the platform to make fully customized solutions, adding incredible artificial intelligence capabilities. In addition, each of the Power Platform solutions includes its own Copilot, which will help us create our solutions quickly and adjust them without touching a single line of code. If you want to learn more about this topic, don’t miss our on-demand event where our team of experts explains, with demo and real case studies, how to create your own automation solution maximizing the potential of Power Platform with AI. Find the registration link below: On-demand event (in Spanish): Learn how to create your own automation solution maximizing the potential of Power Platform with AI.

Guía de los niveles de analítica avanzada

5 steps to maximize the value of your data

11/13/2023 |

Today’s business world is changing at a dizzying pace and the decisions we make must be more agile and accurate than ever. In this context, data analysis is essential to facilitate the path towards smarter decisions that bring greater value to the business.

To do this effectively, it is necessary to have a good data analysis strategy to identify needs, opportunities and suitable use cases.

In this article we take you on a journey through the 5 key steps that will allow you to get the most value from your data.

1. Let’s start with the basics: define what you want to achieve through your data.

Our journey begins with what is fundamental to any strategy: defining objectives. Although it may seem obvious, the first thing to understand is that data analysis is not just about crunching numbers and statistics.

This means that before implementing more advanced techniques and technologies, it is important to understand your organization’s needs, objectives and challenges. That’s what will guide you to collect, process and leverage your data in a meaningful, business-serving way.

In addition, well-defined objectives allow you to measure progress and evaluate the impact of data analytics on business objectives. Without solid objectives, data analytics will lack direction and focus, wasting resources and time.

2. Let’s continue in order: Where will you store your data?

Once you have your objectives defined, the next key step is to decide where to store, collect and organize your data in the cloud.

There are data repositories that you can choose according to your different purposes and needs. For example, if you need to keep as much data as possible without losing information, you can opt for a data lake, also known as a Data Lake, which allows you to store large amounts of raw data and to which you can resort whenever you want to explore new or unknown data.

In terms of organization and data collection, another option is to build a data warehouse, also known as Data Warehouse, which will allow you to have at your fingertips a structured repository, that is, where all the important data is already organized and ready for use.

In addition, with a modern Data Warehouse, you can perform advanced analytics techniques such as descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics, from which you can extract valuable knowledge and insights from your data.


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It is time to analyze!

Once you have established a solid foundation for your data, the next step in your journey is to start analyzing it for insights in order to make smarter decisions based on data rather than intuition.

To this end, another key step in getting the most value out of your data is the effective combination of different analytics approaches and scenarios, such as data science and real-time analytics.

While data science provides the depth and insight needed to make informed strategic decisions, real-time analytics gives you the agility to react quickly in an ever-changing world.

However, the combination of data science and real-time analytics is a dynamic process that requires a solid technological infrastructure as well as teams specialized in both disciplines.

4. Technology, the icing on the cake

In this journey towards maximizing the value of your data, it is essential to select the right tools and solutions to make the data analysis process as efficient as possible.

Ambitious companies have already started to opt for fully integrated cloud solutions that allow them to store, process and analyze their data easily and securely.

Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft’s new unified cloud data analytics solution, combines technologies such as Data Factory, Synapse Analytics, Power BI, Real-Time Analytics and Synapse Data Science, so organizations can store, integrate and analyze their data all from one place.

In this way, you will be able to establish a single source of reliable and unified data that will allow you to democratize access to your data and reduce the time and effort of your teams to obtain valuable knowledge.

5. Wait, without a specialized team, everything will be more difficult…

The last point, but not the least, is the fundamental role of a specialized team.

However, many companies do not have the resources to implement, manage and master these types of cloud solutions, a complex task considering the large number of different technologies and products that are often disconnected from each other.

That is why many companies rely on a specialist partner with the necessary know-how and experience to not only advise and assist them in the implementation of technologies, but also to accompany them along the way.

As Top Cloud Partner of Microsoft, Softeng accompany you on the road to maximize the real value of your data. Want to know more? Our team will be happy to talk to you.

How to manage your data in the cloud without losing control

11/07/2023 |

Data analytics has become a priority for many companies. However, there is one particular feature that makes it difficult to manage: the amount of data is constantly growing. In this article we unlock the key data management challenges so you can overcome them and manage them without losing control.

Companies have large volumes of information, often redundant and disconnected. As has been demonstrated time and again, data alone is not enough. The key lies in the ability to integrate and analyze this data effectively to unlock valuable insights to support strategic decision making.

But how do we analyze our data if it is constantly evolving? Effective data management in the cloud has become a competitive advantage. Those companies that manage, store, organize and secure their data in the cloud without losing control will be more prepared than ever to make better decisions that make a difference.

However, the large amount of information, and the variety of disconnected services and solutions, have brought with them challenges that affect most companies. These challenges, far from being insurmountable obstacles, can be successfully addressed for enterprises to take full advantage of the benefits of cloud data management.

3 main challenges of data management in the cloud

1. Scarce resources

If we imagine the cloud as the home of our data, having the right team and tools to build it and take care of it is essential.

The implementation and management of cloud data platforms usually requires the participation of teams of engineers and developers with high technological expertise and training. However, this can be costly and sometimes almost inaccessible for many organizations.

Lack of data governance

Once we have built our house, it is also important to secure it so as not to put at risk what we have inside. Data governance refers to sound policies, standards and procedures for managing, organizing and protecting data stored in the cloud. Without them, companies can be hit with common cyber-attacks and privacy issues.

3. Search for a single, reliable source

We now have our house ready and secured. But it would be of no use if what we have inside is in disarray.

In the cloud era, companies often have data from a variety of sources, in different formats and often from different vendors. Having a single, reliable source to unify this data, identify it, analyze it and give it a strategic purpose can become a real challenge.

Addressing the challenges of data management in the cloud

As the evolution of data increases and the need for strategic decision making becomes increasingly important, many companies have begun to adopt cloud solutions that are secure, integrated and easy to implement.

The Microsoft cloud offers solutions such as Microsoft Fabric that enable companies to integrate, store, analyze and govern their data from a trusted, unified source.

However, due to a lack of resources and the priority of not compromising security, many digitally ambitious companies choose to rely on a partner to support them and help them maximize the potential of their data through efficient management and ensuring control along the way.

In Softeng, as Top Cloud Partner of Microsoft, our team of cloud experts can accompany you on this journey to maximize the management of your data. Contact us so we can move forward together on your business objectives.

How to unlock the potential of data and maximize its value by connecting it to the business

05/31/2023 |

Business strategy based on data and artificial intelligence is booming. Organizations have realized that the value of their data lies not only in the quantity, but also in the quality and how they use it to make smarter, more strategic decisions.

But, as with all emerging technologies, it is very difficult to adopt them without first having to do a lot of research to find what is really tangible and interesting behind the noise, while always maintaining our zero-trust cybersecurity posture in the face of new cyberthreats that are also emerging.

Specifically, Data and artificial intelligence technologies complement and enhance each other to improve processes, providing great added value to advance business objectives faster and more securely. Analyzing the environment, finding behavioral patterns, predicting consumption trends or optimizing processes are just some of the use cases where we can take advantage of its full potential. But where do we start if we want to maximize the value of the data? For the foundations. And for this, first of all, it is essential to have a modern data warehouse. And second, connecting business data and transforming it in a way that is fit for purpose.

Building a modern Data Warehouse

A Data Warehouse provides a centralized and structured repository where data from various sources, such as operational databases, enterprise applications and cloud systems, can be stored. This allows for a comprehensive and unified view of the data, facilitating analysis and accurate reporting.

Some organizations have their own Data Warehouse. Even so, many are still not taking advantage of the benefits of a modern cloud data warehouse, such as scalability, performance, availability, advanced analytics capabilities through AI and cost reduction to create much more flexible, faster and secure data repositories.

We recommend this digital event with DEMO to discover how to have a modern Data Warehouse, connect your business data, transform it and start making smarter decisions. Access the event on demand!

Connecting business data and transforming it appropriately

Once the Data Warehouse is configured, the next step is to connect the necessary business data and transform it in an appropriate way to ensure the quality of the data in the right format, under the principles of integrity, continuity and availability.

Once the data is available in the Data Warehouse and has been transformed, it is possible to start making smarter, evidence-based decisions. Data analysis can reveal patterns, trends and relationships that were not previously visible, allowing organizations to gain valuable insights for strategic decision making. In addition, it can also help identify opportunities for improvement, optimize operations, understand customer behavior and anticipate market trends.

In the current context, the ability to securely connect the organization’s data to ChatGPTThe new solution, following the best security and privacy practices, offers new opportunities to solve different business processes, allowing to take advantage of the knowledge and analytical capacity of the model to obtain information and quick answers about different aspects of the business.


We recommend this digital event with DEMO
 to discover how to securely connect your organization’s data with ChatGPT to solve different business processes.
Access the on-demand event!

In conclusion, having a data-driven strategy and knowing how to maximize the potential of new technologies allows companies to unlock the full potential of data to make better decisions, solve problems more efficiently, and gain a competitive advantage.