Cloud-based analytics is becoming a pivotal tool for today’s digital businesses. Out of its many advantages, the most significant one would be the ability to perform data mapping through cloud-based analytics.
Data mapping is an essential process employed in data warehousing to connect separate models to each other. Using a predefined set of methods, the data is characterized in a specific definition. It is translated between one course of information to another, matching the source field to the target in the data warehouse.
Data mapping makes it possible for firms to identify the root causes of positive and negative effects in their activities. It can help to draw connections between operating conditions and performance. This information can contribute tremendously to predicting outcomes of specific actions.
In order to achieve all these, the key is reliable data-mapping software. Being cloud-based would add to its efficiency, as the tool could be accessed from anywhere, especially if they are mobile-compatible as well.
Let’s discuss the matter in detail.
What Makes a Good Data Mapping Software
The complexity and the different types of data that need to be consolidated make data mapping an eminent function to get the most out of what info the entity has. The software can help to extract the most accurate insights.
Depending upon organizations and their data strategies, data mapping could either be done on-premises or with the help of cloud-based tools. There are different types of software available on the market today.
Here is the list of key factors one needs to keep in mind when choosing the most suitable option:
- Advanced data visualization capabilities that will help interpret data with less effort
- Customizing options to enable the software to adapt to the specific needs of a particular business and avoid scaling issues
- Advanced built-analytics which allows users to make informed decisions
- An intelligible interface that is easy to use and inexpensive to implement software
- Compatibility with large databases, ensuring smooth retrievability and mapping of data regardless of its location
- Ability to generate thorough reports available at all times and comprising up-to-date information
Apart from this, another major concern is the cost. Most cloud-based systems tend to be of great advantage in that regard. Apart from the initial investment, they save additional equipment and human resources expenses.
If data is simpler or lower in volume, then open-source tools can serve as more affordable alternatives.
The Best Data-Mapping Solutions for Your Business
Every industry could benefit from efficient data analysis. Similar to how mind mapping is used to compose papers by professionals from EssayPro, data mapping can help an entity trace and formulate strategies according to customer needs and evident trends.
As of 2019, 69% of enterprises were already on their way to hybrid IT environments. If your organization isn’t already taking advantage of cloud-based technologies, here is bad news. You might be wasting your resources.
If the data processing is your priority, then here is the ultimate list for you. All of these tools offer both on-premise and cloud-based services.
ArcESB
ArcESB ticks all the above-mentioned characteristics of good cloud-based data-mapping software. It is a powerful platform that is easy to integrate with your other systems and applications.
It comes with an intuitive interface that guides you from installation and application in less than half an hour.
Here are the main features of ArcESB:
- Visually strong and simple interface
- Fast and secure data integration and application
- An entirely free core automation framework
- An enterprise-ready open architecture
- Certified and secure managed file transfer
- No-code connectors for marketing, CRM, analytics, data warehouses, and more
Adeptia Integration Suite
AIS is one of the industry’s leading data mapping tools that stands out for its affordability. The software is versatile and offers comprehensive data mapping capabilities.
It ensures an efficient B2B integration process and allows for connecting any number of input items. Those may be transactional records, APS, and forms to create common outputs through connections.
The features of this option are as follows:
- Users can pay for only the functionalities they require
- User-friendly interface with no necessity for coding
- Web and graphics-based mapper that translates data into simple English rather than in complex codes
- Optimization of IT environment
- Data conversion and migration
- Comes with a data flow designer
CloverDX
CloverDX offers a suite of data integration technologies for companies that require full and refined control over data. If you need a comprehensive tool to solve complex issues in intensive settings – this is your choice.
Specialists prefer this software for its usability as well as rapid processing speed.
The list of features is as follows:
- Code only where needed
- Build extensible frameworks
- Collaboration between different teams
- Equipped for the end-to-end process from identifying a data-related problem to analyzing and monetizing
- Personal enterprise-grade team support from CloverDX
IBM InfoSphere DataStage
The brand name IBM itself brings value to the table when it comes to software solutions.
IBM InfoSphere DataStage offers every feature one would seek in a data integration program. It is particularly useful for large-scale enterprises. There is the possibility to work across multiple systems and maintain extensive metadata management connectivity.
The features are:
- Flexibility to analyze heterogeneous data from both mainframe and distributed platforms
- Improves the ETL efficiency of the enterprise
- Provides great technical support and quick responses to issues
- Increased productivity by providing transparent handling of endpoint individuality
- Rapid development cycle using pre-built patterns and design automation
Xplenty
This cloud-based ETL solution from XPlenty delivers visualized data pipelines that could automate data flow across a wide array of sources and targets.
It can handle operations, including scheduling, monitoring, maintenance, and security, apart from data integration. The tool runs both simple and complex replication tasks through its elastic and scalable traits.
The list of characteristics is as follows:
- Transfer data between internal databases and external warehouses
- Enhanced flexibility and customization
- Centralization and preparing data for intelligence and analytics
- Send third-party data to CRMs such as Salesforce
Alooma
Alooma is an ETL software using data pipelines to integrate them while enabling visibility and control.
It works by bringing together data from different silos to warehouses, regardless of whether it is stored on-premise or on the cloud. The most highlighted feature is the option to assimilate all the data to Amazon’s petabyte-scale data warehouse.
It also derives real-time data giving you access to real-time insights. It also does the following:
- Supports numerous popular data resources
- Data resources are updated on a weekly basis
- Notifies you whenever a new field appears in your data
- Friendly user-interface guides you along all the way
- Enables decision making through real-time data streaming
Informatica Cloud Data Integration
Informatica’s ETL provides codeless data integration of data sources and applications across both cloud and on-premise.
It also comes with advanced capabilities to change the data structure, partitioning, error handling, and:
- Built-in intelligence to enhance performance
- Comes with designs that enforce best practices on code development
- Code integration with external software configuration tools
- Extract and transfer large volumes of data and avoiding redundancy
- Geographical synchronization
- Streamline high-performance transfer of data assets in different formats using advanced mapping designer
Talend Integration Cloud
TIC is a fully-managed cloud platform that provides expert data integration that is managed, monitored, and secured by the Talend team. It supports dozens of large data platforms and technologies, file formats, and matching algorithms.
Here is what else this software does:
- Provides hundreds of pre-built components
- Scalable to suit your organization’s model and seamless integration
- Option to schedule regular security audits and web application penetration testing
- Multi-level security measures
- Data and network isolation between customers
Altova
Altova MapForce brings in unparalleled power and flexibility into your business intelligence through superior data mapping and transformation.
It generates source code or execution file with multiple options to automate recurring transformations. Users can also use data mapping in a spreadsheet format, which might be favorable to companies.
Here’s what Altova does:
- It can perform mapping for several data types on an any-to-any basis
- Graphic data mapping design, visualization, and integration
- Interactive data mapping debugger
- Allows to import existing data transformation code
- Includes an extensive library of processing and conversion functions
- Generates royalty-free data conversion source code
Oracle Data Integrator Cloud
Oracle provides a cloud-based data integration solution that works best for data transformation. It will give you continuous and uninterrupted access to databases across various systems.
Oracle also can:
- Perform huge transactions and manipulations
- Provide a performance-oriented design approach
- Extract metadata to use for other sources
- Ease the monitoring process through the sketch-up mechanism
Actian
Actian DataConnect is a versatile solution that functions across on-premise and cloud platforms. The focus is on adaptability and self-service with rapid onboarding.
Here are some of the features:
- Patented UniversalConnect™ technology allows you to connect with any source, location, format or protocol
- Offers robust high performance with interactive feedback
- Works directly with metadata and offers flexible deployment choices
HVR
HVR is an innovative data integration product that combines several features of mapping, data validation, and replication. It can process high volumes of data in real-time between distinct sources and destinations.
HVR also:
- Provides accurate data validation in real-time and provides reports
- Accelerate data movement with minimal impact
- Ensure real-time update of data
- Support for simultaneous cloud data integration with an initial set up
source: https://unsplash.com/photos/oyXis2kALVg
The Bottom Line: How to Choose the Right Data-Mapping Tool
The key to finding the correct solution for your business lies in research. Many software providers offer free trial periods that would help you understand how these tools work and what value they would bring to your organization.
An alternative may be to look for authentic reviews to determine how other users are benefiting from different software.
While depending on reviews, it is necessary to acknowledge that there is no one-fits-all option. Negative reviews could be caused by such incompatibility. Nevertheless, good data-mapping software should have the option to be modified to the demands of any business.
Choosing the correct program is an important step. If it does not work for you, the customers’ time and the entity’s resources might be wasted. By identifying which features are required, decision-makers will be able to find the right solutions that work best for their businesses.