PASS BAC Preview Series: The Evolving World of Data
In this next post in our PASS Business Analytics Conference preview series, PASS Board Member Thomas LaRock shares his insights on the rapidly changing world of data and his recommendation on how you can keep up with the fast pace of growing technologies in this business area.
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FEATURED PASS BOARD MEMBER: Thomas LaRock, Vice President of Marketing
Thomas LaRock is a seasoned IT professional with over a decade of technical and management experience. Currently serving as a Senior DBA for Confio Software, he has progressed through several roles in his career, including programmer, analyst, and DBA.
Thomas joined the PASS Board of Directors in 2009 and is a SQL Server MVP. He holds an MS degree in Mathematics from Washington State University and is a member of the Usability Professional’s Association. He can be found blogging at http://thomaslarock.com and is the author of DBA Survivor: Become a Rock Star DBA (http://dbasurvivor.com).
I’m hearing a lot of talk these days about how companies are turning to business analytics to guide their organization to success in today’s marketplace. Using data to help make business decisions is certainly not a new concept —but with the prevalence and sheer amount of data available at any given moment, this concept of data-driven insights is dominating discussions not only at the boardroom level but in every cubicle around the office. Even core IT and database pros like me are having these types of conversations on a regular basis.
The world of data is changing rapidly—Big Data, predictive analytics, data visualization, Hadoop, and even the new version of Excel are all things data professionals and business analysts should be up to speed on—but are we?
It’s hard to keep up with all the technologies and processes needed to deliver data-driven insights. I’m a firm believer in learning best practices and seeking guidance from industry experts. For anyone using data as currency in the workplace, I do highly recommend immersing yourself in the world of data analytics by attending the PASS Business Analytics Conference in Chicago April 10-12.
With 2 full days of conference sessions covering 60+ analytics topics, this is a top-notch training event brought to you by the same team who put on the lauded PASS Summit events. Best of all? PASS is a not-for-profit organization so your registration fee stays in the community, supporting a myriad of local, regional, and international programs and events that bring business analytics professionals together around the world.
Check out these streaming sneak peek sessions for a taste of what’s on offer. I think you’re going to like what you see.
I am passionate about how data can transform business and I look forward to meeting with and learning from like-minded individuals. Together we can learn to make better data-driven decisions and take our companies to the next level.
It’s an exciting time for data professionals – don’t wait, register today.
