Cassandra, Big Data Management and the Internet of Things

Every year, Scandit processes hundreds of millions of barcode scans from all around the world. Have you ever wondered what happens to all the data? We use a cloud-based data center to manage a robust backend infrastructure that administers our device and license system, provides users with valuable scan insights and reports scan performance through a real-time ‘Scanalytics’ Dashboard.

Last week, Scandit hosted an Internet of Things (IoT) Meetup at our Zurich Office, where our COO and co-founder, Christof Roduner, discussed how we use Cassandra to manage the large amounts of data produced by mobile and wearable devices scanning thousands of barcodes with Scandit technology on a daily basis. Using Cassandra, we manage a scalable backend that stores billions of scan records and supports a large number of concurrent client requests. With multiple data centers, and a wide rows data model, we run a low maintenance infrastructure that adapts as our customer base grows.

The Meetup also featured other local Zurich speakers in the IoT space. Joël Gähwiler, who is studying interaction design at the Zürich University of Arts presented Shiftr.io, a new multi-protocol data visualization and connectivity platform for the Internet of Things. Hannes Gassert, a technology entrepreneur, presented Opendata.ch, an association he co-founded to make data available and accessible – for more transparency, innovation and efficiency.

Altogether, the IoT Meetup was a fun evening of discussion and education surrounding big data management, product interaction, and the Internet of Things. All of which are important subjects of daily interest for the members of the Scandit team.