AI and Analytics in Production

Preface

If you are in the process of deploying large-scale data systems into production or if you are using large-scale data in production now, this book is for you. In it we address the difference in big data hype versus serious large-scale projects that bring real value in a wide variety of enterprises. Whether this is your first large-scale data project or you are a seasoned user, you will find helpful content that should reinforce your chances for success.

Here, we speak to business team leaders; CIOs, CDOs, and CTOs; business analysts; machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) experts; and technical developers to explain in practical terms how to take big data analytics and machine learning/AI into production successfully. We address why this is challenging and offer ways to tackle those challenges. We provide suggestions for best practice, but the book is intended as neither a technical reference nor a comprehensive guide to how to use big data technologies. You can understand it regardless of whether you have a deep technical background. That said, we think that you’ll also benefit if you’re technically adept, not so much from a review of tools as from fundamental ideas about how to make your work easier and more effective.

The book is based on our experience and observations of real-world use cases so that you can gain from what has made others successful.

How to Use This Book

Use the first two chapters to gain an understanding of the goals and challenges and ...