RapidMiner, a predictive analytics innovator, this week announced its acquisition of Radoop, a close RapidMiner partner and Big Data analytics tool for Hadoop. The integration of Radoop into RapidMiner extends RapidMiner’s reach into the Hadoop ecosystem and paves the way towards enterprise-level businesses that need Big Data analytics to deliver insightful, actionable results via a straightforward user interface.

Since its launch in June of 2011, Radoop has mediated the gap between the Hadoop data platform and its users. Radoop uses RapidMiner to run ETL, data analytics, and machine learning. It optimizes RapidMiner analytics with Hive and Mahout. The end result is a visual interface that provides clients with predictive, easy-to-understand analysis. While RapidMiner was already part of the Radoop equation, the acquisition solidifies the two entities into one, positioning RapidMiner, as Ingo Mierswa, co-founder and CEO of RapidMiner, said, “to take advantage of the synergies that exist between advanced analytics and Hadoop.”

As part of the acquisition, RapidMiner gains access to Radoop technology and their connections in the Hadoop marketplace. This includes two leading Hadoop platforms, Hortonworks and Cloudera, with which Radoop currently integrates. RapidMiner will also take 20 new clients under its wing.

Adding Radoop to its portfolio indicates RapidMiner’s interest in the enterprise market, but ease-of-use is only one step towards becoming enterprise ready; Security is also paramount to the enterprise market. RapidMiner will likely want to intensify its security offerings if it’s serious about optimizing Hadoop for the enterprise. Other Hadoop leaders are already taking the plunge: Cloudera and Hortonworks recently acquired Hadoop-specific security companies — Gazzang and XA Secure, respectively. Wikibon analyst and theCUBE host Jeff Kelly commented that with these acquisitions, Hortonworks and Cloudera “really [put] their money where their mouth is, and [focus] on security and data governance – two critical components if you’re going to run Hadoop in production with sensitive data.” Kelly pointed out that these security acquisitions demonstrate “a lot about where the focus in on Hadoop. That is, making it enterprise-grade.”

In concert with Radoop, RapidMiner will provide enterprises with the ability to run complex analytics and receive predictive, actionable results designed to drive business. While at the Hadoop Summit, Oliver Ratzesberger, SVP of Software at Teradata, told theCUBE that a focus on business outcomes is essential for enterprises: “It’s all about execution,” he said, “To a CEO, to a CIO, it matters if you can produce tangible outcomes and results.” RapidMiner has successful track record of supporting business outcomes, evidenced by the worldwide, rapid adoption of its products. The Radoop acquisition allows RapidMiner take the next step towards enterprise-scale clients.

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