Data analytics has conventionally been the last step in the data collection process, taking place after the event, sale or interaction. But with the scalable, cost-effective power of cloud-native analytics and the rise of spatial SQL, businesses can make data-informed decisions in real time.

“Data as code is when an organization has moved from doing analysis after the fact to putting analytics on their operational cycle,” said Javier de la Torre (pictured), founder and chief strategy officer of CartoDB Inc. “An organization is going to react in real time, and the only way that happens is to operationalize analytics on their daily operations.”

De la Torre spoke with industry analyst John Furrier during the AWS Startup Showcase: “Data as Code — The Future of Enterprise Data and Analytics” event, an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the paradigm shift in the meaning of analysis from looking back to acting upon data in real time, as well as democratizing data, cloud-native compute and storage advantages, and the mostly untapped potential of geo data. (* Disclosure below.)

Geodata widely accessible through spatial SQL

As a proponent of the data democratization philosophy, de la Torre has created Carto’s spatial analysis tools with SQL at the center. Since SQL is a very popular language for analysts, the reach and impact of this kind of analysis is accessible on a much wider scale than previous geo systems.

“We’re looking at democratizing [data] so that it’s in the hands of any analyst. Our vision is that you don’t need to go five years to a geography school to do this type of spatial analysis,” de la Torre said.

Cloud-native analytics is disrupting data trends and allowing growth in the area of geo data. It is scalable, cost effective and interoperable, all equally needed to be able to collect, store and analyze massive amounts of individual data points. Instead of moving data from platform to platform, Carto’s offerings function through connecting data warehouses like Redshift and data processing systems like Parquet with live data through the cloud, according to de la Torre.

“What Carto does is leverage Redshift’s computing infrastructure to essentially do all the analysis. So, we bring a spatial analysis to where the data is, versus in the past, where we took the data to where the analysis was,” he explained.

Layering multi-source data provides a clear map of consumer actions and needs

By connecting through Amazon Location, companies that deliver as part of their service can track their drivers’ delivery routes, gathering a picture of what’s happening on the ground in their business. Layering Carto on top of that data, the analytics potential is vast, including optimization of delivery routes or choosing where to add another distribution center or restaurant location.

In relation to scalability, the sensor-created data grows in volumes exponentially. Transforming from BI data to a spatial model is Carto’s specialty.

“Carto allows you to see all the data, not just aggregated by county or area; you see all your data on the map,” de la Torre said.

In partnership with telco companies, Carto’s data analysis pinpoints favorable 5G antenna placement with informed intentionality. They combine customer location with consumer profile data, like age (younger people are more likely to upgrade cell phones to 5G) and the zoning in the area to inform decision-makers with a wider view of the area. And as more 5G services are introduced to a region, the telemetry in internet of things and edge devices increases greatly — another opportunity to capture and analyze data on the fly and react quickly to changing consumer input.

“I think the biggest impact that we are going to see in the upcoming years is that more use cases will be going toward real time,” de la Torre said.

The future of spatial indexing

In the future, de la Torre expects to see standardization of how data are provided to third-party vendors and providers. In addition, Carto’s tools are focused on “helping companies figure out their own geographies.”

Rather than organizing marketing or services by zip code or city, the “most advanced companies are defining their geographies spatial indexes that allow them to understand the business as a continuous space.” Spatial indexing is a new way to look at spatial computing that separates location from artificial boundaries.

“Your customer doesn’t change because he goes from this place to the other side of the road; this is the same place. You essentially have a continuous geography that actually is much closer to reality,” de la Torre concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the AWS Startup Showcase: “Data as Code — The Future of Enterprise Data and Analytics” event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the AWS Startup Showcase: “Data as Code — The Future of Enterprise Data and Analytics” event. Neither CartoDB Inc., a sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE