Takeaways from a Reenergized SQL Saturday

Connecting with professionals, investigating modern technologies, and making the most of our time and resources can make a profound difference in the work we do. The importance can’t be understated and became crystal clear during the pandemic. But those days are waning quickly (and thankfully), and popular in-person learning opportunities, like SQL Saturday, are back. (We hear the collective applause).

Hitachi Solutions recently presented at and sponsored a reenergized SQL Saturday gathering in Toronto. Our Vice President of Data and Analytics, Simon Nuss, attended the event to share his wide and deep expertise on all things data, in a unique presentation Data Lake Fundamentals: Zoning and Best Practices.

“People are struggling with multiple data lakes and democratizing data to the business,” Nuss said. “They need to unlock the value of a data lake. It doesn’t matter how many data lakes you have if you have governance behind them.

Microsoft has been hearing this issue for a while and is dedicated to solving the pain point.” Nuss added that as a member of Microsoft’s Partner Advisory Council, Hitachi Solutions is in a unique position at events like SQL Saturday, to provide attendees with insights on the strategies they can implement today to better prepare their organizations for tomorrow.

Note: In an upcoming blog, Nuss will break down his data lake fundamentals presentation, augmented with a supercharged infographic that you won’t want to miss (no PowerPoint, we promise). Be on the lookout for it!

What is SQL Saturday and why do I care?

SQL Saturdays are so popular because they bring the conference experience to local areas, with grassroots organization and a free day of training. Saturday was chosen as this was the day when the community could attend without interfering with work. The audience is typically software developers, database administrators, and business intelligence professionals.

“The number of people willing to take time out of their lives and invest in their careers is staggering. What is even more amazing is how many of them have come to greet each other by name,” said Steve Jones, the Toronto event’s keynote speaker. Jones is the editor of SQLServerCentral, as well as a 10-year Microsoft Data Platform. “It is the embodiment of professionals working to improve their craft.”

Along with Nuss, more than a hundred data enthusiasts attended SQL Saturday to hone their data skills and get refamiliarized with the Microsoft data analytics community. Community organizers have been working hard over the past year to restart the in-person events that became hugely popular in the 10 years preceding the pandemic. By 2020, more than 1,000 events had been held around the world.

“Seeing interest in building community again around Microsoft technologies and products was great,” Nuss said, adding that it’s not an event reserved for SQL legends or Microsoft employees. “We saw several customers present what they’re doing in-house to solve their own data-related problems. They had a business challenge that they overcame in an interesting way.”

What’s on tap

Depending on where you live, there may be a SQL Saturday event coming to you, and soon. Events are scheduled across the world and in the U.S. through 2023. The value of training, combined with the chance to meet and trade ideas with industry experts and other professionals, can be immeasurable. And it’s free. What can be better than that?

Want to talk data?

Hitachi Solutions has the data scientists and change advisory experts to help kickstart your data analytics programs so you can truly begin using data as an asset. Data can be a competitive advantage — you just need to know how to structure it and use it effectively and safely.

Chances are, you will need the assistance of a third party to help you assess your current data landscape, evaluate your existing infrastructure, and blueprint a plan for moving forward. Most companies don’t have the technical and personnel resources to manage such a shift alone. Check out our data services assessments and then contact us to see how Hitachi Solutions can put you on the right path. We love to chat data!