December 2023 Summaries

Aiven for OpenSearch has been updated to version 2.11.1, bringing new AI capabilities, visual overhauls, and more. The update includes machine learning framework integration, search pipelines, integrated alerts and anomaly detection in OpenSearch Dashboards, and a side-by-side search query comparison tool. Users can upgrade their clusters from the Aiven console to access these features.

The panel session at Aiven Live London featured experts from Revenir, Dojo, and Hookdeck discussing how businesses pursue innovation to stay ahead. All three companies emphasized the importance of cost optimization and resource allocation in their pursuit of innovation. They highlighted the value of using managed services like Aiven to help control costs and focus internal resources on core business functions. The panelists also discussed the challenges of managing data infrastructures across multiple cloud providers, emphasizing the need for scalable, compliant, and secure architectures that can handle real-time data processing. Overall, the discussion highlighted the importance of establishing strong foundations for innovation in a data-driven world and the rewards that come with it.

The article discusses key takeaways from Aiven Live 2023, an event where industry influencers, technologists, strategists, developers, and end-users gathered to share knowledge about open source data platforms. Five main points were highlighted: the problem-solving approach in data platform management; how data platforms can drive innovation for end users; cloud view on collaboration with hyperscalers and ecosystems; developer's lens on accelerating Generative AI development; and an industry picture of a data-driven journey to better patient care. The article also mentions customer stories from companies such as Revenir, Hookdeck, Dojo, and Doccla, who shared their experiences with Aiven's open source data platforms.

Brian Wagner, CTO of Revenir, is pioneering open source collaboration and AI-driven solutions in regulatory compliance for the fintech industry. Revenir automates tax recovery through partnerships with banks, governments, and digital receipt companies, operating within a strict regulatory environment that requires high levels of cybersecurity and compliance. Wagner emphasizes the importance of understanding regulators' goals to ensure customer satisfaction and safety. He also promotes collaboration and open source technology for problem-solving and innovation in security and compliance. Revenir uses Aiven's open source data platform, which enables greater co-operation and idea sharing between individuals within a company and across companies. Wagner believes that AI can significantly improve cybersecurity by detecting anomalies and following rules, making it an essential tool for the future of security in the tech industry.

Yen Pham is a Financial Analyst at Aiven who has been with the company for nearly two years. Originally from Vietnam, she moved to Berlin five years ago after being inspired by her uncle's encouragement to pursue her dream of exploring Europe. Prior to joining Aiven, Yen worked in various roles related to numbers and finance, including Customer Due Diligence and Financial Crime Compliance at HSBC Vietnam, as well as a student position and later full-time role in the FP&A team at Contentful and Wire, respectively. Yen's decision to join Aiven was influenced by the company's impressive funding and valuation, which she saw as an opportunity for growth and challenge. Since joining Aiven in early 2022, her work has involved transitioning from a spreadsheet-based solution to a new financial planning tool, moving to a quarterly planning cycle, and working on projects such as the Gross Margin by Customer and Service Dashboard. Yen's advice for those pursuing a career in finance includes effective priority management, strong communication skills, and curiosity. She also emphasizes the importance of courage, openness, and ownership in her role as Financial Analyst at Aiven.

Aiven introduces Tiered Storage for Apache Kafka®, offering improved cost-efficiency and scalability. The new feature allows users to store older, less frequently accessed data in lower cost storage, reducing broker node storage size and saving money. With Tiered Storage, customers can substantially reduce storage costs and simplify their application architecture by handling real-time and historical data seamlessly. Pricing for Tiered Storage starts from $0.09 per GB/month, depending on the object storage system used. The feature is currently in early availability for existing and new customers using Kafka 3.6.

Aiven for Apache Kafka® introduces a new Kafka topic catalog that provides a unified view of all topics across services and projects within an organization. This feature allows users to easily compare the same topic's configuration, users, and permissions across different environments. The Kafka topic catalog is now available at no additional cost to existing and new Aiven for Apache Kafka customers.