Splunk Big Data Analytics Software Gets Machine Learning Injection

Spunk has injected a new dose of machine learning into its core service offerings, adding more intelligence to how its software handles and analyses machine-generated big data.

New versions of the company’s main service Enterprise, IT Service Intelligence (ITSI), Enterprise Security (ES) and User Behavior Analytics (UBA) were revealed, and now sport machine learning features and algorithms that allow the use of techniques such as focused investigation.

This enables the identification and resolution of IT and security incidents through the automatic detection of anomalies and patterns in data.

Splunk machine learning

Other cited  features include intelligent alerting to reduce alert fatigue by identifying normal patterns in data for specific sets of circumstances, the ability to carry out predictive action through the anticipation and reaction to circumstances such as proactive maintenance that might otherwise disrupt operations or revenue,

The update will also facilitate the carrying out of business optimisation by forecasting demand, managing inventories, and reacting to changing conditions through analysis of historical data and models.

Doug Merritt, president and CEO at Splunk, championed the use of machine data in digital transformation programmes many organisation and enterprises are currently undergoing:
“Digital transformation has changed the way that organisations work. The big secret is that all of the change is underpinned by machine data. Machine learning enables organisations to get deeper insights from their machine data and ultimately increases the opportunity our customers can gain from digital transformation.

“The enterprise machine data fabric is the foundation for managing and deriving insights from that data at scale.”

The new versions of Splunk machine-learning loaded services are available for both on-premise and cloud deployments.

Splunk on philanthropy

Alongside new versions of its services, Splunk also announced Splunk Pledge, a new philanthropic program through its Splunk4Good initiative, which aims to power social change through finding insights in public data that can be sued by governments and not-for-profit organisations.

Splunk Pledge will see the company donate a minimum of $100 million worth of software licenses, training, support, education and staff volunteers over a 10-year period to non-profit organisations and educational institutions. It could be argued that making such a donation simply spreads Splunk into other organisation and expanding its reach in different markets, as opposed to simply being a gesture of charity.

The company is also expanding its Splunk Academic Program, which offers students access to free Splunk training and education to give them digital skills that will be beneficial in the future. With the expanded program, Splunk is offering it to any educational organisation worldwide.

Again, one could be cynical a see the move as a way to get more IT workers of the future trained up on using Splunk software thereby acting as a form of long-term marketing and sales push for the company.

Splunk is not the only software firm cosying up to non-profits, with Tableau Software also announcing the expansion of its free software program for non-profits, offering such organisations access to its visual analytics software as well as a volunteer network of Tableau employees.

“By removing the barriers to entry, small non-profits can better manage programs, tell impactful stories, or increase the effectiveness of fundraising efforts through data,” said Neal Myrick, Director of social impact at Tableau.

Microsoft is also in on the act by ‘donating’ Office 365 to non-profits.

Take our cloud quiz here!