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DaaS – Data-as-a-Service

What is it and why is it the next big thing?

Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash
Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash

Every week I like to do a little research on what’s going on in the Data Science world. Lately, I’ve been more interested in the up-and-coming fields of work or even just the new vocabulary to become familiar with. This week, I was reading an article on the top five data science jobs/industries to watch coming up to 2025. Among the list, there were common and expected terms such as Big Data or the Cloud. Nothing there was so shocking, as those seem to be the topics of a lot of discussions.

There was one topic on the list, however, I hadn’t heard about it before. The topic was Data-as-a-Service (DaaS). Admittedly, it was my first time hearing about it, so I had no background knowledge on what it was. Of course, given the title, you’re able to infer what it might be. But data is such a large concept. In that, I mean data is so broad, so what type of data are they selling exactly? As I was unfamiliar, I first thought about how data is sold by large corporations such as Google and Facebook. But surely there was more to data than just that? This was the inspiration for my research, so join me in my exploration of what DaaS is and why it’s important for the growth of businesses.

What Is Data-as-a-Service?

Unlike the way it sounds, Data-as-a-Service is not about selling data. Instead, it’s about data management. More of a data management strategy. A DaaS company provides storage options, which are often on the cloud. In DaaS, data is not only stored but also integrated and processed. Instead of companies needing to download different software for processing, this service allows all the heavy lifting to already be completed.

When compared to warehouses and hardware, cloud storage is a cheaper way to manage large data sets. DaaS is also scalable and even flexible. Because the service is hosted on the cloud, there is not as likely a chance for interference, downtime, or other forms of disruption. In addition, beginning to store and process data once a DaaS solution has been selected can start almost immediately. DaaS platforms also provide automatic maintenance while having smaller staffing requirements. Being on the cloud, the data could be accessed on a variety of different devices over a network, making it easier to access. It is accessible globally. DaaS does not, however, lock the data into a single platform. Instead, it prides itself on being portable between platforms. Data integrity control can also be added to DaaS. It is also easy for both collaboration and administration.

Although DaaS sounds like a perfect solution, it does not come without its faults. For example, with data being accessed over a network, there may be security concerns. Encryption would need to be added to this data during transit to combat the security risks. But with strict rules established beforehand, data governance can still be ensured between the DaaS environment and the organization. Although DaaS may come with a great list of tools, there is still a limit to the number available. This means the user is limited only to what is compatible with their DaaS selection, instead of having the freedom to choose any tool they want. Because of potentially sensitive data being stored on the cloud, there are additional compliance steps to consider for keeping the users and data safe. So, before you commit to any DaaS solution, be sure to check any laws on privacy regulations within both your country and industry. Presumably, the network bandwidth could also be a concern, as large amounts of data can take even longer to transfer because of the bandwidth. Data compression, such as zipping files, allows for a faster transferring time of files.

Original Thoughts About Data

Back to begin, remember that my original guess was that Data-as-a-Service referred to selling data to be used as part of other companies’ demographics for research and problem-solving. Although the is not true from what we have learned so far, that doesn’t mean it’s the furthest thing from the mark. One feature of DaaS solutions is that a company does not need to provide all its data. The DaaS solution can instead host any data it is given. However, it isn’t DaaS that provides the data. It only processes the data. Instead, the DaaS solution can act as a data marketplace. This is where an organization can access data from a third party. And that is where the data comes from. So, instead of the DaaS solution providing and processing the information, it focuses more on storing and processing the data while third-party resources gather and provide the data.

Conclusion

In today’s article, we learned what Data-as-a-Service is. As we discovered, DaaS is a strategy made to simplify the world of storing and processing large amounts of data. Such Storage can come from the Cloud, which is then accessed via a network and usually an Internet connection by an organization. The DaaS model is built to be a solution for those who do not want to buy multiple pieces to the puzzle but instead have the finished product. There are many benefits, such as automatic maintenance, flexibility, portability, and cost-saving measures. But that does not come without its downfalls. Issues such as security, data governance, and compliance rules are things to look out for and study closely before selecting a solution.

Having read more about DaaS, I now see why it is a field to keep an eye on in the next few years. While big data, machine learning, and the cloud expand, easier ways to support that data will be critical. Not to mention any cost savings. I enjoyed reading more about this topic, and I hope you enjoyed reading about DaaS as well. Feel free to leave a comment about any DaaS solutions you feel are good to know, or what Cloud services are best to use. Until next time, cheers!

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References:

Data as a Service: The What, Why, How, Who and When

What is Data as a Service (DaaS)? A definition from WhatIs.com

What is Data-as-a-Service? – Definition by Techslang

What is Data-as-a-Service (DaaS)? | Talend


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