Ex-Googlers start analytics firm

According to an IBM study, 90% of data today has been generated in the last two years, mostly from online searches, social media, shoppers, travellers, banking, offline transactions, and images. The study also says that only less 1% of the world’s data is analysed, and provides useful insight.The business, led by Vinoaj Vijeyakumaar (pictured), Aleetza Senn, and Timo Josten, has a staff strength of six at the moment.Its key service areas include assessment and strategy: including technology and business audits; technology solutions: implementing the most appropriate technology; insights and actions: tracking data against KPIs, testing and iterating to identify the most valuable channels and customers; and training: customised training to bring teams up to speed on data.Sparkline also delivers services by using the analytics tools of its global technology partners – Google, Adobe, Marketshare, Optimisely and others – to analyse marketing, products and customers.It analyses a company’s online and mobile data for insights towards improved marketing, merchandising and business operations.“For example, working with hotel room booking site Amari, our analysis and solutions delivered a 47% increase in hotel room bookings. We make businesses smarter, more efficient and more profitable,” said Vijeyakumaar.Talking about her time at Google, Senn said that while she could previously only talk about Google Suite products, the new service allows her to take a more consultative position across other offerings.“Google Suite is so focused on its core products and offerings you would rely on the company to instill a data-driven business,” she added. “We see that as a massive area of opportunity.”Senn added that she viewed Sparkline’s closest competitors being the likes of consulting firms such as McKinsey and Accenture.Earlier, Marketing ran a piece on the trend of big consultancies, professional and tech services firms evolving into a hybrid agency and potentially taking a piece of agencies’ pie.However, Senn said that Sparkline would target both agencies and clients equally, she said.“The data analytics space in Asia in a huge opportunity. IDC has estimated the APAC (x-Japan) Big Data technology and services market will be worth US$1.76 billion in 2016, up from US$258.5 million in 2011,” said Josten.