Baking and Computers, a Surprising History of Analytics Pioneers

Perhaps surprisingly, bakers have a history of being analytics pioneers, from the first business application ever to the latest in-memory technology. In 1951, the J. Lyons company, famous for their tea-shops throughout the UK, built and used the LEO “Lyons Electronic Organizer” computer they had built to run the very first business application ever: bakery valuations. LEO was a massive, valve-powered computer that occupied 5000 sq.ft. of space.... [Read More...]

Why In-Memory Analytics is Like Digital Photography: An Industry Transformation

When was the last time you had a roll of film developed? If you’re reading this, you’re no technology luddite, so it was probably already many years ago. Film – a technology that had been slowly improved and perfected over 200 years  – was replaced in less than a decade by a much faster, cheaper, and more convenient technology approach. In an earlier post, I outlined why I think we’re on the brink of a real revolution in business analytics... [Read More...]