Leading Experts Debate Emerging Trends for Predictive Analytics and Data Mining.
At KDD 2009 in Paris, the leading conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, a panel of experts discussed various topics related to open standards and cloud computing, with a particular focus on the practical use of statistical algorithms, reliable production deployment of models and the integration of predictive analytics within other systems.
Moderated by Zementis, the panel was comprised of a distinguished group of thought leaders representing key software vendors in the data mining industry including DMG / Open Data Group, IBM, KNIME, KXEN, Microstrategy, Pervasive, SAS and SPSS.
The first major focus of the discussion was the Predictive Model Markup Language (PMML). All vendors on the panel strongly support PMML, the de-facto standard for model exchange. It was evident that all panel members champion the PMML standard and will continue to actively improve features and usability through their products. Addressing enhanced compatibility among vendors, the DMG and Zementis now offer a comprehensive PMML converter to check, validate, and convert PMML models. The panel also coincided with the general release announcement of PMML 4.0, the latest version of the standard.
Turning towards the emerging trend of Cloud Computing, it was evident that all vendors are actively investigating how to leverage the cloud most effectively for predictive analytics and data mining. Several vendors already provide cloud-based solutions, either on a public cloud infrastructure like Amazon EC2 or their own data center.
PMML and Cloud Computing are a reality and available today! There was no doubt that PMML as a standard has been accepted and has evolved into a valuable foundation for the predictive analytics industry. Cloud Computing will deliver additional benefits for various data mining solutions, either through a private or a public cloud infrastructure depending on the nature of the application.
For a more detailed summary of the panel, please review the KDD 2009 Panel Report which summarizes questions and answers from the discussion.
Comprehensive blog featuring topics related to predictive analytics with an emphasis on open standards, Predictive Model Markup Language (PMML), cloud computing, as well as the deployment and integration of predictive models in any business process.
