MemSQL brings geospatial analysis to in-memory, distributed databases

MemSQL, a San Francisco, CA-based leader in real-time databases for transactions and analytics, recently announced new geospatial capabilities for its in-memory, distributed, SQL-based database. By bringing together geospatial and operational data in the same high speed database, customers can achieve unprecedented agility for geospatial analysis. Unlike segregated solutions, MemSQL integrates geospatial data as a primary data type, making it as easy to use and operate at scale with as much speed and high throughput as any other class of data.

No more segregation: All data created equal in-memory

Previously, enterprises were forced to segregate their geospatial data into separate data stores. With the rise of IoT and mobility, nearly all data is location-specific. As data volume increases, maintaining geolocation information outside of the primary datastore leads to longer latency and synchronization challenges.

By integrating geospatial functions, MemSQL enables enterprises to achieve greater database efficiency with a single database that is in-memory, linearly scalable and supports the full range of relational SQL and geospatial functions. With MemSQL, geospatial data no longer remains separate and becomes just another data type with lock-free capabilities and powerful manipulation functions.

Geospatial in action: NYC taxi data can drive smarter urban planning

Working with MemSQL and Apache Spark, Esri, the leading provider of geographic information systems (GIS), analyzed data compiled from 170 million real-world NYC taxi rides around the GPS coordinates of pickups and dropoffs, as well as distance and travel time.

Slicing by hour of the day, Esri can calculate the average speed of a taxi ride and find the best and worst places for traffic jams. Slicing by day of the week, the ebb and flow of traffic during workdays and weekends becomes visible. For a city planner, this data insight can be used to redirect traffic at specific times in an effort to unclog traffic congestion. For the taxi business, this data can improve efficiency with supply and demand of cabs during times of high or low traffic for any given region.

“MemSQL is enabling companies to consolidate many niche solutions into fewer, more capable multi-purpose solutions. By making geospatial data a primary part of in-memory, operational databases, our customers can rely on one solution to make their data more valuable,” said Eric Frenkiel, MemSQL co-founder and CEO. “We’re delivering on our promise of easy access to database innovation and are quickly becoming the go-to-company to help enterprises operationalize analytics.”

The early access MemSQL geospatial capabilities are available now and will be generally available in calendar Q2. Read the technical blog post here.

Source: MemSQL