- Opera Solutions
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Opera Solutions, LLC Type Private Industry Founded 2004 Founder(s) Arnab Gupta Headquarters New York/New Jersey United States Area served Worldwide Employees 600 (2011) Website www.operasolutions.com Opera Solutions, LLC is a technology and analytics company mainly focused on capturing profit growth opportunities emerging from Big Data.[1] The firm uses a combination of analytics, technology, machine learning science, large-scale data management, and human expertise[2] to build and deliver analytics solutions to large and mid-sized clients in a number of sectors,[3]including financial services, investment firms, consumer goods, retail, manufacturing, distribution, and government. Opera delivers predictive analytics via cloud-based lean enterprise platforms, custom projects, and strategic affiliations.[2]
Contents
Company
Established in 2004 by CEO Arnab Gupta, the firm has 600 employees from over 30 countries[4], including more than 150 scientists.[5] Opera is headquartered in the New York/New Jersey metro area with offices in Jersey City, New York, Boston, London, Paris, San Diego, Shanghai, and New Delhi. The latter three offices support the firm’s analytic and technological activities, developing new models, applications and analytics delivery platforms.
Funding
On September 14, 2011, Opera Solutions announced that it had raised $84 million [6] in capital that the company says it will use to build and expand their engineering and sales force. [7] The round was led by Silver Lake Sumeru, with participation from Accel-KKR, Invus Financial Advisors, JGE Capital Management, and Tola Capital. [8]
Netflix Prize
In 2009 Opera participated in the Netflix Prize, a three-year-long analytics competition sponsored by the U.S. online movie rental company Netflix.[9] Opera was part of "The Ensemble", a three-team consortium that finished second, with model performance tied with the winner. The contest attracted 41,000 teams from 186 countries.[10]
Big Data Discourse Series
In April 2011, Opera Solutions began what it calls the "Big Data Discourse Series," a series of discussion events with private sector and government leaders focused on the societal and business impact of Big Data.[11] To date, the series has featured Newark Mayor Cory Booker[12][13] and Michael Chertoff[14][15], the former head of the United States Department of Homeland Security under George W. Bush, as keynote speakers.
Criticism
Opera Solutions was criticised by Ben Goldacre in a Guardian article[16] regarding the 2011 Opera Solutions UK White Paper, "Realising Savings Through Procurement Optimisation",[17] which stated that local government is missing the opportunity to save 10–20 per cent on procurement spending because of a lack of spending visibility and insight. Goldacre criticised Opera's report as "astonishing, shameless bait and switch", saying "these figures are all presented out of nowhere". The criticism was in response to the promotion of Opera's white paper by UK Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles MP,[18][19][20][21] as well as the frequent citation of the study in British popular press.[22][23]
References
- ^ "Maximizing Return from Data". Bloomberg Businessweek. September 29, 2009. http://feedroom.businessweek.com/?fr_story=bb41c1f9e1fdf96cc2d371569c96b69cb189bf59. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Menninger, David (August 23, 2011). "Opera Solutions Adds Science to Predictive Analytics". Information Management. http://www.information-management.com/blogs/predictive_analytics_Opera_big_data_SaaS-10020994-1.html. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ "What We Can Learn from Netflix". Bloomberg Businessweek. September 29, 2009. http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/sep2009/ca20090929_866063.htm. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ "Big Data Analytics Company Opera Solutions Raises $84M in First-Round Funding". TechCrunch. September 14, 2011. http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/14/big-data-analytics-company-opera-solutions-raises-84m-in-first-round-funding//. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ Harris, Derrick (May 6, 2011). "Check Out the Big Data Expert You’ve Never Heard Of". www.GigaOm.com. http://gigaom.com/cloud/meet-the-big-data-expert-youve-never-heard-of/. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ "Data Analytics firm Opera Solutions closes $84M round". VentureBeat. September 14, 2011. http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/14/opera-solutions-84-million-round/. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ "'Big Data' Firm Raises $84 Million". The Wall Street Journal. September 14, 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903532804576569133957145822.html. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ "Opera Solutions nabs $84M for 'Big Data' Analytics". CNET. September 14, 2011. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-20107545-62/opera-solutions-nabs-$84m-for-big-data-analytics/. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ "Netflix Prize: It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over". Wired. August 12, 2009. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/netflix-prize-continues/. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Taylor, Marisa (September 21, 2009). "Winning Netflix Team Draws From AT&T, Yahoo". The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/09/21/winning-netflix-team-draws-from-att-yahoo/. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ "Opera Solutions and Newark Mayor Cory Booker Host Discussion on the Promise of Technology and Open Data in Government". Reuters. April 8, 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/08/idUS186378+08-Apr-2011+PRN20110408. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Sun, Feifei (April 6, 2011). "5 Questions with Twitter-Savvy Newark Mayor Cory Booker". TIME. http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/07/5-questions-with-twitter-savvy-newark-mayor-cory-booker/. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Reagan, Gillian (April 6, 2011). "Cory Booker pitches Newark as a 'startup' to New York tech scene". Capital New York. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2011/04/1780392/cory-booker-pitches-newark-startup-new-york-tech-elite. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Valentino-DeVries, Jennifer (June 23, 2011). "Chertoff: ‘Rules and Regulations’ Complicate Anti-Cybercrime Efforts". Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/06/23/chertoff-rules-and-regulations-complicate-anti-cybercrime-efforts/. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Goldman, David (July 28, 2011). "China vs. U.S.: The cyber Cold War is raging". CNNMoney. http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/technology/government_hackers/index.htm. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Misleading money-saving claims help no one in The Guardian, Friday 24 June 2011.
- ^ "Realising Savings Through Procurement Optimisation". www.OperaSolutions.com. June 16, 2011. http://www.operasolutions.com/images/downloads/Opera_WP_Government%20Procurement%20Savings_web.pdf. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- ^ "Better buying 'could save councils £10bn'". www.Public Finance.co.uk. June 17, 2011. http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2011/06/better-buying-could-save-councils-10bn/. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "Shining a light on council spending could save up to £450 per household". www.Communities.gov.uk. June 17, 2011. http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1925280. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "Pickles: councils should join forces to save £10bn". www.LocalGov.co.uk. June 17, 2011. http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=100079. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "Eric Pickles MP: Smarter procurement in local government could save up to £450 per household". Conservative Home. June 17, 2011. http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2011/06/eric-pickles-mp-smarter-procurement-in-local-government-could-save-up-to-450-per-household.html. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "Council incompetence 'costs every household £452 a year". Daily Mail. June 17, 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2004590/Council-incompetence-costing-household-Britain-452-year.html#ixzz1PYTpPan7. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "Councils Owe You a 450 Pound Rebate". Daily Express. June 17, 2011. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/253235/Councils-owe-you-a-450-pound-rebate. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
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