Big Data clearly offers a rich source of uses for companies to understand their businesses and improve their performances. The race is on to become the go-to provider of services and software for companies ready to enter the Big Data era. The game belongs to simplicity and ease of use, according to Shaun Connolly, VP of corporate strategy at Hortonworks, Inc.

He told Dave Vellante and George Gilbert, cohosts of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, that he sees Apache leading the pack. He likens Apache’s position to that of Red Hat, Inc. and Linux in the early days of the web. “You look now and Apache’s actually serving a very similar role as it relates to data,” he pointed out. In other words, he said Apache has become data’s center of gravity in the industry.

Show me the use-cases

Connolly said that Hortonworks’ subscriptions consist of about 80 percent software versus services, and that figure grew faster than anyone expected. To him, it’s a good sign, as it shows “there’s appetite and need for the software we’re doing.”

He offered a use-case anecdote involving trains utilizing data to improve logistics and safety. “Who would think a hundred-plus-year-old business is actually participating in the age of data? And they are,” he said.

Watch the full video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Spark Summit East 2016. And join in on the conversation by CrowdChatting with theCUBE hosts.

Photo by SiliconANGLE