New Cisco SAS Edge-to-Enterprise IoT Analytics Platform harnesses streaming data to help customers gain insight, take action

Solution combines Cisco Unified Computing System and SAS® Analytics to tame data

Whether it’s keeping oil rig workers safe, cardiac patients healthy, or shoppers with smartphones engaged, the internet of things (IoT) is becoming essential. The IoT promise is tremendous. But wrangling all the hardware and software required to realize that promise can resemble a daunting science fair project. Cisco and SAS, market leaders in networking and analytics, are lowering this risk by releasing the Cisco SAS Edge-to-Enterprise IoT Analytics Platform.

This is the industry’s first edge-to-enterprise platform for IoT analytics backed by a Cisco Validated Design. Flexible and scalable, the platform helps enterprises apply analytics at various layers of the network based on their volume, velocity and latency requirements. The validated design reduces barriers and risks. Most importantly, it allows organizations to focus on uncovering meaningful results instead of struggling to put together a homegrown IoT platform.

“The value of IoT lies in the data that it provides,” said Alan Webber, IDC Research Director. “But data by itself is not valuable until, using analytics and analysis, it can be turned into information, knowledge and action. That is what makes this partnership between SAS and Cisco so exciting. It brings two world-class companies together to offer truly edge-to-enterprise value in transforming edge data gathered through IoT into unmatched business value through analytics.”

Mike Yost, President of MESA International, a global community of manufacturers, producers, industry leaders and solution providers, sees value in the platform. “When you dig down into the heart of the IoT discussion, it’s all about the business value potential presented by bringing IT and OT together – a complex challenge our members are eager to solve. Confidently pushing analytics through the network to where the data is created solves many problems. I trust people will enjoy being transformed from data caretakers to explorers, discovering all the possibilities that exist with better insight.”

To learn more about the SAS and Cisco platform please read 451 Research’s report SAS takes Event Stream Processing to Cisco’s Edge for Internet of Things Stack.

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Key features of the platform include:

• Edge Computing. The combination of Cisco IoT Gateways and SAS^® Event Stream Processing enables analytic models to run against data-in-motion with a sub-second response time, close to the devices and sensors creating the data. The analysis initiates alerts, and defines which data is pertinent to store and route forward.
• Flexible Enterprise Computing. Relevant data sets identified at the edge are transported to the data center or cloud, then combined with additional enterprise data to add context. Advanced analytical techniques, such as visualization, data mining and machine learning, can be applied to find new insights and create fresh analytic models. The models can be deployed in the cloud or back to the edge as appropriate.
• Management: Cisco provides a robust infrastructure to connect the edge to the data center/cloud and support the management of analytics at various network layers. This is especially relevant for deployments involving a large number of edge devices such as electric utilities with smart grids.

“The Cisco SAS Edge-to-Enterprise IoT Analytics Platform has broad applicability across many verticals and helps organizations obtain information instantly and take immediate action” said Raghunath Nambiar, Chief Technology Officer of Cisco’s Unified Computing Systems Group. “By working together, Cisco and SAS enhance the value of streaming data for all kinds of applications including customer experience, asset performance and fraud scenarios. The combination gives our customers control and helps them remain agile.”

Nambiar will join Oliver Schabenberger, SAS Chief Technology Officer, to discuss the platform during SAS Global Forum 2017 on Monday, April 3, starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern in Convention Level 1, Pacific Hall in the Walt Disney Dolphin Resort.

Today's announcement was made at SAS Global Forum, the world's largest analytics conference, with more than 30,000 business and IT users of SAS software participating on site and online.