Scottish cloud and data centre provider Brightsolid has launched a new consultancy to help firms make sense of “big data”.
The firm’s Business Insights Model is thought to be the first data analytics consultancy run in-house of a data centre.
The division is designed to help provide businesses with a better understanding of their customers and processes through use of their data.
The Digital Economy Business Survey 2014, released by the office of the chief economic adviser for Scotland, revealed only 34% of businesses in Scotland use data analytics. Only one out of four of these organisations felt data had a large role in the operation of their business. After speaking to over 50 Scottish SMEs, Brightsolid found that the majority were yet to unlock the real value in their data due to data science being a niche skill – as well as unrealistic pricing models used by analytics consultancies.
Inez Hogarth, head of analytics at Brightsolid, said: “As a data centre and cloud hosting provider we love data and understand its potential to drive business growth.
“Now we want to help other organisations see the value of the data they are holding.
“Too often companies shy away from analytics because they think it is too complicated, when the truth is that there are tools available to conduct comprehensive analysis in a simple and inexpensive way – they just need to be shown how.
“The ability to analyse large quantities of data results in actionable intelligence and ultimately, better business decisions. It is extremely empowering.”
Brightsolid has also joined forces with two other technology firms have come together to help Aberdeen businesses learn more about how their operations can be transformed by a new ultra-fast network.
The Next Generation Networks event, hosted by Commsworld on Wednesday 11th November at the Village Hotel Club in Aberdeen, will outline how businesses can best take advantage of the new Aberdeen CORE network of ultra-fast pure-fibre infrastructure.
Delegates will hear from key speakers from infrastructure builder CityFibre, as well as Commsworld and Brightsolid, who will outline how firms can improve their efficiency using the network.
Ricky Nicol, chief executive of Commsworld, said:“It is evident that a great number of businesses in the city are either feeling the pinch of the low oil price directly or the knock on effects of the downturn in the industry and simply need to make efficiency savings.
“In many cases we can help to reduce costs, especially the unexpected costs such as downtime, but improving network capability and therefore internet connectivity is also a great way to improve efficiency and output.”
In March this year CityFibre launched its Aberdeen CORE project, which will see a “pure fibre network” installed in Aberdeen allowing business to access gigabit internet speeds.
Using state of the art fibre technology, the multi-gigabit network offers unparalleled flexibility and resilience versus the old legacy circuit structures.
Brightsolid recently opened its £4million state-of-the-art data centre on its Lang Stracht site, which will be accessible through the Aberdeen CORE network – and will provide businesses with vital data handling from the centre at ultra-fast service speeds.
Richard Higgs, chief executive of Brightsolid said: “What I think is really exciting for Aberdeen right now is the potential to create a peering centre – so that data can stay within Aberdeen and significantly lower transit costs.
“Making a city-centric comms network would resolve the uneven distribution of connectivity and improve collaboration across the industries that are feeling the effects of the low oil price.”
Brightsolid will also be at Big Data Scotland event on the 11th December 2015, talking about data, analytics and the Business Insights Model.