IBM launches Hadoop-based analytics software, big data services

IBM said Friday that it will invest $100 million on research for analytics and big data projects and expanded its portfolio accordingly. The company also launched Hadoop-based services.

Hadoop is open source technology that's used to analyze unstructured data. Both Yahoo and Google are heavy Hadoop proponents.

IBM said it is launching InfoSphere BigInsights and Streams software to analyze unstructured data such as text, video, audio and social media. The software, cooked up by IBM Research, is based on Hadoop and more than 50 Big Blue patents.

InfoSphere BigInsights will include data governance and security features as well as developer and integration tools. The software will come in a free basic edition.

Streams will analyze unstructured data such as Tweets, video, sensor and stock market data.

The company said it is also rolling out 20 new services that revolve around its patented software to analyze massive volumes of streaming data along with Hadoop-based analytics.

Among the key services:

• Cloud workload analysis to map IT characteristics and prioritize cloud deployments.
• Server and storage optimization tools for faster implementation time.
• Data center lifecycle cost analysis to cut expenses and bolster sustainability efforts.
• Security analytics to automate handling of critical events.