Oracle has released a new extension for its Oracle Data Integrator middleware that allows DBAs and data warehouse experts to treat big data repositories as just another data source, alongside their structured databases and data warehouses.

ODI provides the ability for organizations to pull together data from multiple sources and formats, such as relational data hosted in IBM or Microsoft databases, and material residing in Teradata data warehouses. So it was a natural step to connect to big data repositories to ODI as well.

The software can work with any Hadoop or Spark deployment, and doesn’t require software installation on any of the data nodes.

On Tuesday, April 21, Google is making a major update to its mobile search algorithm that will change the order in which websites are ranked when users search for something from their phones.

The algorithm will start favoring mobile-friendly websites (ones with large text, easy-to-click links, and that resize to fit whatever screen they're viewed on) and ranking them higher in search. Websites that aren't mobile-friendly will get demoted.

About 60% of online traffic now comes from mobile and Google wants users to have a good experience whenever they click on a mobile link.  

The company announced its impending changes back in February,giving webmasters nearly two months and plenty of information to make the changes necessary to keep their sites from disappearing from mobile search results.

One of the paradoxes of today's data-driven world is that the very data we seek for competitive advantage can be both a curse and a blessing. Businesses need the right data to gain a leg up, but each new bit they acquire makes it harder to uncover the data they need.

That's where Alation says it can help, with a new product focused on helping enterprises find the information that will help them get ahead. Alation can simplify data access and make it easier for organizations to get the insights they're after. It offers collaborative analytics, data search and discovery, data optimization and effective data governance.

ClearStory taps HDFS and Apache Spark in the cloud to let business users blend high-scale,variable data and analyze it with in-memory speed. It combines the scalability and variable-data adaptability of Hadoop, the in-memory analysis speed of Apache Spark, and the agility and usability of a cloud-based tool designed for business analysts.

These are the traits that ClearStory Data promises. With a new release of its cloud service announced on Monday, the company said it is delivering greater control over data-blending and analysis,

New tools promise to empower an increasingly diverse set of business users, but there are potential pitfalls. It's been nearly four years since investor and entrepreneur Marc Andreessen proclaimed that software is "eating the world", and the evidence is everywhere. Full-scale transformations are being wrought upon companies and industries alike, from financial services to agriculture to advertising.

Today, a related trend is engulfing business software, and -- to borrow a phrase -- it's eating the world in a similar fashion.

Microsoft HDInsight and Azure ML help Ziosk gain dining insights from more than 77,000 table-top tablets deployed at Chili's and other restaurants.

 Casual restaurant chains want to attract digitally savvy millennials more than any other segment of diners. They're trying social network campaigns and mobile apps to do just that. One of the latest stabs at engagement is table-top tablets from Ziosk, digital devices that are part menu, part waiter, part entertainment device, and part survey platform.

The purchase will allow AppDirect to put all of its cloud services onto a single dashboard
Cloud service commerce company AppDirect already makes easier for enterprise companies to find, buy and manage cloud service tools they need. It does this by offering tools, such as single sign-on, which gives employers a single set of credentials that allow end users to access and manage the same application across Web and mobile versions.

What it lacked, though, was a single place for its customers to go to check up on all of their services at the same time.

Business intelligence is coming to the masses—and one local company is cashing in.
InsightSquared hasn’t “squared” its money yet, but it has doubled it. The Cambridge, MA, software startup has closed a $13.5 million Series C funding round that matches its total raised previously. The new money comes from Atlas Venture, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, NextView Ventures, and new investor Two Sigma Ventures.

 More important, the company has doubled its headcount and revenue over the past year.