Due to the constant growth in the volume and speed of data, businesses worldwide are actively looking for solutions to handle big data and other similar issues. One of the first decisions an organization makes is choosing a cloud storage provider that offers scalability, flexibility, and high performance.
In 2014, Snowflake took the market by surprise when it revealed its innovative cloud-based data warehouse technology. It became one of the first data warehousing platforms to offer software as a service (SaaS) products with storage, compute, and cloud services working separately and billing as individual units.
Nowadays, Snowflakes products are used by some of the major organizations, such as Warner Music Group, JetBlue, and Anthem, as a key component of their systems. Its demand is rapidly increasing, but the question arises, what’s so special about Snowflake that organizations and IT leaders are so interested in it? In this article, some of the top reasons why businesses choose Snowflake to build their data warehouses are mentioned.
1. Web Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Snowflake offers a web interface for users to interact with the data cloud. Using the web interface, users can:
- Request Data
- Monitor resources and system usage
- Manage business accounts and other general settings
2. Businesses Have the Option to Select the Platform
One of the most significant reasons businesses are actively choosing Snowflake is that it can work on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud. With Snowflake, businesses need not collaborate with any specific cloud technology or brand, so they get the option to choose the one that best suits their architecture, budget, and functionality requirements. In addition, if required, they can also use multiple Snowflake accounts, each on a different cloud platform. The ultimate flexibility offered by Snowflake allows them to choose what works best for their business.
3. They Get to Enjoy Advanced Query Performance
Snowflakes handle concurrency issues with the help of a multicluster architecture – it allows businesses to create separate virtual warehouses that are individually scalable. So even if multiple users are running queries, compute resource usage won’t overlap. Each virtual warehouse can be easily scaled up and down as per the business requirement without waiting for other user tasks to be completed. This helps speed up data scientists’ work and provide analytical insights into the right hands faster.
Moreover, businesses can also specify the size of each warehouse and suspend and resize them at any point. It provides businesses with a high level of flexibility while also allowing them to pay for the resources they actually need.
4. It Allows Companies to Share Data Inside And Outside the Company
The primary reason behind the existence of the data warehouse is to eliminate data silos. Nevertheless, those silos can still exist if the data warehouse isn’t accessible by tech teams, vendors, and partners across the organization. With the help of Snowflake’s Secure Data Sharing, businesses don’t need to copy or export data to share it with different teams. They can effortlessly develop secure data sharing accounts that can easily access the data necessary for the business. Such a thing suggests:
- The data won’t occupy unnecessary space in the receiver’s account.
- The receiver side would not be responsible for additional storage charges (compute resource charges for running queries are still applicable).
- The data remains in read-only mode with pre-configurable role-based access controls.
- It’s fast and effortless to set up and access.
5. It Can Help Businesses Minimize Their Costs
Since Snowflake is a cloud-based SaaS product, businesses won’t need to invest in any hardware infrastructure to create their data warehouse. In addition, businesses are charged as per the usage, and they can adjust their usage as per the need to avoid going over budget.
Moreover, without the expensive infrastructure management, they can allow their tech team to focus on high-value, higher-touch tasks in their data value chain.
Snowflake takes it to the next level by allowing businesses to create separate warehouses for separate users and teams that can easily vary in size and usage and can be switched on and off based on the requirement of the business. In addition, Snowflake also offers tailor-made storage and compute costs separately to the businesses so that they only need to pay for the resources they use.
6. Businesses Can Work With All Data Formats
Snowflake supports all types of data – structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. This feature allows businesses to store, query, and analyze data that arrives in different formats, including texts, images, PDFs, and more. Earlier, unstructured data needed to be stored separately in a data lake, but with the Snowflake, it can reside in the same warehouse as structured and semi-structured data with the same data governance, management, and replication guarantees. Such a thing opens up tons of analytical capabilities, especially for businesses working in healthcare that rely heavily on images, text blocks, and documentation.
Moreover, Snowflake supports a multitude of next-generation file formats that were previously not accessible by traditional solutions. Such files include JSON, CSV, AVRO, PARQUET, ORC, and XML.
7. Diverse set of Client Connectors
Snowflake offers an array of connectors and drivers that users can use to connect to their cloud data. Some of these client connectors include:
- NodeJS Driver
- Python Connector, a programming interface for writing Python applications that connect to Snowflake.
- JDBC driver for Java programming
- ODBC driver for C/C++ development
Wrapping Up
Businesses around the world are discovering the features Snowflake offers as a cloud data warehousing solution. At Atlas Systems, our database consultant helps organizations plan, implement, and manage their Snowflake deployment so that they can take advantage of its speed, performance, and flexibility.
Are you looking for similar improvements to your data environment? Contact our DBA support and analytics team to discuss how we can help you transform your data into a strategic asset.
Ingrid Maldine is a business writer, editor and management consultant with extensive experience writing and consulting for both start-ups and long established companies. She has ten years management and leadership experience gained at BSkyB in London and Viva Travel Guides in Quito, Ecuador, giving her a depth of insight into innovation in international business. With an MBA from the University of Hull and many years of experience running her own business consultancy, Ingrid’s background allows her to connect with a diverse range of clients, including cutting edge technology and web-based start-ups but also multinationals in need of assistance. Ingrid has played a defining role in shaping organizational strategy for a wide range of different organizations, including for-profit, NGOs and charities. Ingrid has also served on the Board of Directors for the South American Explorers Club in Quito, Ecuador.
