Fast data mining

Data mining used to be the technical term for algorithmic searching in structured and unstructured mountains of data. Like a miner, the IT specialist was supposed to fight his way forward through the data rubble to separate numb rock from sparkling insights.

Managers hoped to gain new perspectives if they only delved intensively and deeply enough into their own corporate databases. Data mining became a fad to uncover a suspected treasure trove of data. Often, the technology failed and new trends were born.

At the beginning of the consideration was the desire that electronic data processing should not only simplify operational processes, but also produce insights into facts and structures.

The data silos in the companies were regarded as valuable rust deposits that had to be processed. Ultimately, electronic data processing became IT - information technology!

And if the new generic term already includes the word "information," then it should truly be there. In the meantime, the operational, computer-based processes were getting better and faster, but "information" was still in short supply.

So while SAP successfully conquered the world with its OLTP system R/3 (Online Transaction Processing), things were less good for real information and evaluations.

OLAP - Online Analytic Processing - was weak and nebulous, although BI - Business Intelligence - became the new buzzword. SAP created the Business Warehouse (BW) for the purpose of BI.

SAP NetWeaver BW was and is a very usable OLAP system and if you optionally invest in the BWA (Business Warehouse Accelerator), there are also answers after an acceptable waiting time. Data mining with SAP BW is a satisfying task.

But the Walldorf-based company didn't want to keep its feet on the ground, and Professor Hasso Plattner invented the revolutionary Hana database system at his institute at the University of Potsdam.

With Hana, you can dig deeper and faster into even larger mountains of data. You can even look into the future - predictive analytics. Hana is super fast, super smart and super expensive.

SAP has constructed a super tool for modern data mining. Those who can afford it now get everything and immediately. But the perfect tool needs a tricky problem!

At the moment, people are shooting at sparrows with the Hana cannon. Getting milk at Aldi in a Ferrari. Flying to work in a private jet.

These gimmicks are not efficient or useful. No one has mountains of data to do Hana justice. No one wants to look that far into the future and see what Hana sees. Instead of digging for data and getting information, SAP is looking for worthwhile problem cases.