Teradata deploys Database 14; hybrid columns to tackle big data

Business analytics firm Teradata this morning announced the global release of its Database 14, promising 80 new features, 60 new functions and laser beams that will destroy everything in the way of productivity.

Lasers aside -- just kidding, folks! -- the new database offers hybrid column and row capabilities integrated into the core architecture, helping break down data silos and keep business intelligence requests moving.

Conventional relational database management systems only store data in rows; Teradata's does so in columns. They each have their benefits, but Teradata is banking that its hybrid approach marries the two for a faster, higher-compression database.

"[The new feature] supports organizations grappling with massive volumes of data, growing user populations, and demands for better intelligence -- all inside of their existing platform," Teradata Labs president Scott Gnau said.

The database also features prioritization of resource allocation, "hot" and "cold" data sensitivity (i.e. locating data based on how often it's used), granular user access and a global view to monitor changes across a company.

The keyword here is "big data," and it's getting bigger by the nanosecond as social media, web interactions and myriad connected devices pump out volumes of data. Something must manage and direct it all for the various business units in a large company; in 2012, it's a race between vendors to do it the most nimbly.