How SaaS Technology Transforms Unstructured Data into Strategic Insights

In the digital era, data isn't just a commodity: it's the lifeblood of businesses worldwide. From online interactions to customer reviews and social media posts, every digital footprint adds to this immense pool of information. However, a significant portion of this data isn't neatly organized: 90% of data is unstructured, a mix of text, numbers, and dates from various sources and formats. This data contains valuable insights, but companies need innovative solutions to use all this information effectively.

Recognizing the need for innovative solutions, businesses turn to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology, which stands at the forefront of the data revolution. SaaS operates on a cloud-based model, where third-party providers host applications accessible to users over the internet. What sets SaaS apart is its elimination of the need for users to install, maintain, or upgrade applications individually. Instead, users can seamlessly access the software through a web browser, paying a subscription fee either monthly or annually. This approach not only simplifies data management but also empowers businesses to effectively harness the untapped potential of unstructured data, transforming it into valuable insights for strategic decision-making.

An example of SaaS model application is Elastic, a cloud-based platform designed to handle large volumes of unstructured data accessible to users over the internet. What sets Elastic apart is indeed its remarkable adaptability as users don't need to install any software on their device. Elastic provides its services on a subscription basis, allowing businesses to pay for the services they use without the hassle of upfront costs.

Concur is another company that operates on a SaaS model, offering cloud-based software solutions to businesses for managing their travel expenses and invoices. By leveraging SaaS technology, Concur’s users can access travel, expense, and invoice management tools from anywhere paying a subscription fee based on their usage. Also, Concur's SaaS platform can connect with other business software, making it easy to share data between different systems. By doing so, Concur transforms seemingly disparate pieces of information into meaningful, actionable insights that empower businesses to make well-informed decisions related to their travel expenditures, employee preferences, and overall travel management strategies.

Car-sharing leader Uber has successfully integrated SaaS technology into its operations, revolutionizing the way it serves its customers. Through advanced data analysis, Uber integrates and processes unstructured data coming from different data sources, including traffic patterns and GPS information, to make real-time decisions on pricing and optimizes driver routes. Moreover, UberEATS, an extension of Uber that specializes in food delivery, employs sophisticated data analysis software: By understanding customer preferences and behaviors, UberEATS can predict the arrival time of a customer's UberEATS order, ensuring a seamless customer experience.

The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market is experiencing unprecedented growth, reaching $148.75 billion in 2021 and projected to soar to $702.19 billion by 2030, as reported by Gartner. In this era of data-driven decision-making, the importance of SaaS technology in harnessing unstructured data cannot be overstated. Companies are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role SaaS plays in converting raw data into actionable insights and enhancing their growth prospects.

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The information in this article should not be regarded as a description of services provided by Delian Partners SA. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. The views reflected in this article are subject to change at any time without notice.

How Blockchain Technology is Disrupting Industries Globally

Blockchain is one of the most popular topics of the last two years. A blockchain is a decentralized data network that contains a growing list of records (blocks) to provide a transparent, accessible, and verifiable register of data. Each block contains data and information about the previous block of the chain – for example, about when the block was accessed or modified-, which minimizes the risk of fraud while increasing data transparency and security.

One major application is to enable users to share and securely store digital assets, but going forward the blockchain can play a significant role in the global economy: Retail commerce giants like Amazon, Walmart, and Alibaba have already explored blockchain technology to make processes more efficient and reliable. With so-called “smart contracts”, digital records of customer purchases and warranty information can be stored in the blockchain, making it easier to validate the ownership and automate tasks like payments or inventory management. For example, Amazon filed a patent for a blockchain system to track goods and make them visible across the whole supply chain, from production to the end-user.

The music industry already started to adopt blockchain technology to eliminate the risk of fraud and protect the intellectual property rights of the content. Last year, music producer and DJ Justin Blau launched the blockchain-based music investment platform, Royal. The platform aims to democratize access to music ownership allowing music lovers to both invest and own rights on their favorite songs/albums with NFTs (non-fungible-tokens) recorded on the blockchain. According to Financial Time, Spotify, the biggest music streaming platform, could add blockchain technology and NFTs on its streaming platform soon to allow artists to certify the ownership on their music while boosting earnings without having to pay any fee. According to Market Watch, the global market for blockchain in media and entertainment is estimated to reach $1.54 billion by 2024.

In the past, cryptocurrencies helped to demonstrate the potential of the blockchain in the financial sector and blockchain became popular for being the technology that supports the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. But today, blockchain is transforming industries outside the financial ecosystem such as insurance, real estate, agriculture, gaming, and healthcare. As reported by Fortune Business insights, the global blockchain market was valued at $4.67B in 2021 and is expected to grow from $7.18B in 2022 to $163.83B by 2029.

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The information in this article should not be regarded as a description of services provided by Delian Partners SA. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. The views reflected in this article are subject to change at any time without notice.

A New Habitat for Luxury Brands: The Metaverse

The internet is evolving into a new environment where digital human interactions are getting closer to reality: The Metaverse. This new, immersive, virtual world is disrupting almost all sectors, including the luxury fashion industry, which is starting to explore several collaborations with popular metaverse platforms.

Gucci is one of the first movers in the world of digital assets. Recently the fashion company announced it has bought some land on the digital world platform The Sandbox to create a virtual fashion experience for consumers. The Sandbox is a virtual Metaverse built on the Ethereum blockchain, where users can play and create games to monetize - as of November, The Sandbox had over 500,000 registered wallets and 12,000 unique virtual landowners. On the platform, Gucci launched its virtual concept store where users can purchase Gucci’s items through NFTs and wear them while playing games in VR.

Also, last year Gucci collaborated with Zepeto, a platform with over 260 million users - 80% of which are teenagers- to launch Gucci Villa, a 3D world map that allows users to buy IP-based fashion items. In Zepeto, it is possible to communicate and interact with others by creating avatars modeled on their own face.

Balenciaga also joined the Metaverse by opening a virtual store on gaming platform Fortnite, giving more than 350 million players across the globe the opportunity to buy new outfits that replicate the physical Balenciaga retail collection.

The reason why brands are inceasingly shifting into the Metaverse is not only to create digital versions of their flagship products. Metaverse is about connectivity and engagement: Users may find a new way to shop online, by browsing through digital showrooms and purchasing virtual/physical versions of products on display.

Brands are working closely with digital platforms and tech companies to leverage their digital presence and reach billions of potential metaverse users. Luxury brands plan to use their digitl tokens to connect with consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, in a unique way, giving them access to items that would be impossible to buy in real life and creating a loyal fan base of buyers.

But the appeal of the Metaverse goes far beyond the consumer market. Tech giants such as Google, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft, are working on VR/AR headsets to make consumers’ virtual experience increasingly immersive. Also, investments in 5G network infrastructure, cloud, and IoT are required to shape new metaverse developments. This creates exciting, multi-year, secular investment opportunities.

The Metaverse is just part of the emerging and deeply transformative wave of innovation, the upcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution, that is blurring the line between the physical and digital worlds. As reported by Morgan Stanley, the luxury branded NFTs market could reach $56bn worth by 2030. The Metaverse is still an early user platform, but its growth potential is very significant.

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The information in this article should not be regarded as a description of services provided by Delian Partners SA. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. The views reflected in this article are subject to change at any time without notice.