To get the most out of their data, successful companies are not focusing on queries and data lakes, they are actively integrating analytics into their operations with a data-first application development approach. Real-time adjustments to improve revenues, reduce costs, or mitigate risk rely on applications that minimize latency on a variety of data sources. In his session at @BigDataExpo, Jack Norris, Senior Vice President, Data and Applications at MapR Technologies, reviewed best practices to show how companies develop, deploy, and dynamically update these applications and how this data-first approach is fundamentally different from traditional applications. He covered examples of how leading companies have identified ways to simplify data streams in a publish-and-subscribe framework (for example, how focusing on a stream of electronic medical records simplified the deployment of real-time applications for hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies). He also detailed how a data-first approach can lead to rapid deployment of additional real-time applications as well as centralize and simplify many data management and administration tasks.<\/p>\n