When companies predict the future effectively, they almost always win. But barriers abound for corporate departments and mid-sized organizations that have limited capital, IT staff, or both. They often lack the resources to employ powerful predictive analytics, and instead can only rely on basic reporting capabilities. That situation is now changing, thanks to software innovation, maturing methodologies, as well as competition from open-source offerings. Register for this episode of The Briefing Room to hear veteran Analyst Dr. Robin Bloor, who will explain why predictive analytics is finally going mainstream, and what that means for companies looking to grow.  

What's the biggest challenge with Big Data so far? By and large, it's the big pain in delivering the right data in a timely fashion, and in a way that decision-makers can easily use. That's quickly changing because of the tremendous demand for tools that even non-technical business users can effectively employ. Capabilities are being designed by software vendors large and small, to provide easier access and more intuitive ways for working with Big Data. Even still, the effort to make Big Data useful is very much a work in progress. Register for this episode of The Briefing Room to hear veteran Analyst John Myers of EMA explain why Big Data poses challenges and opportunities for professionals looking to better understand their markets, prospects and customers.