Publications

DM Direct Newsletter, July 7, 2006, By Michael Stonebraker

In the history of IT, few things have had a greater long-term impact than the relational database. Today, we are witnessing a major shift in the nature of data and how data is used. But this time, it's not about stored data; it's about real-time information.

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Examples of streaming applications include hedge funds that process multiple stock ticker feeds to leverage real-time information and gain a millisecond advantage in finding and executing on arbitrage opportunities; telecommunications companies that monitor networks to instantly determine fraudulent activity or to ensure that they are receiving the revenues they are entitled to; and military/intelligence agencies that monitor the Internet and other communication networks for patterns that may indicate potential terrorist activities before they happen. These types of applications demand an infrastructure that can handle real-time streaming data.

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