Lightcast provides the most trusted and comprehensive labor data and analytics on the market, powering decisions that drive clarity and impact. Making that data as useful as possible means making it as accessible as possible—which is why we’re excited to announce a major update to how you can use and apply Lightcast insights:
Lightcast Data Delivery Now Includes Six Data Sharing Options
With more choices, you now have more opportunities to access the world’s clearest and most comprehensive labor market data on the platforms you already use—including cloud storage and data warehousing options from Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Databricks, and Google BigQuery and Cloud Storage, on top of existing options available from Snowflake. Expanding our offering into these new avenues allows us to offer more flexibility in how you make Lightcast work for your organization.
The Evolution of Data Delivery
Generally speaking, Lightcast insights has been available through software (like Talent Analyst) and through data delivery. The software solutions offer powerful out-of-the-box analytics that work well for many, but some organizations require the flexibility to dive deeper into a more customized access. Historically, Lightcast data delivery has used two primary methods:
1. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): Allows real-time, on-demand access to specific data points. APIs provide the latest data from Lightcast to the user whenever a request is made, making them an excellent option for running dashboards or building applications using specific pieces of data.
2. SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol): A secure method for transferring large files. This option provides batches of Lightcast-refined data at regular intervals, perhaps once a week. This would be like receiving a regular delivery of supplies—as soon as the data is sent and received, users can store and use it however they like.
APIs allow for real-time data, sent directly into your organization’s applications for easy access. SFTP offers large datasets that can be stored and analyzed within your own systems. Both offer advantages: but new options can offer both.
Introducing Data Shares
Lightcast's new data share options, through feeds and warehouses, represent a significant leap forward in applying labor market data to your organization specific needs. These options allow for seamless, real-time access to large datasets with a lower barrier to entry and greater capacity for large volumes of data, which can be used for training AI models and other projects that rely on large, clean, frequently updated datasets.
Key Benefits of Data Shares Include:
Immediate Access: Data is query-ready as soon as it's shared, drastically reducing implementation time.
Scalability: Easily handle large volumes of data efficiently.
Flexibility: query and analyze data using your preferred tools and methods.
Cost-Effectiveness: Eliminate the need for data transfer and storage on the client side.
Efficiency: Access to the most current data without manual updates.
If we imagine data from APIs as being sent directly from Lightcast to the user, data warehouses got their name by being a meeting point in between. Lightcast, alongside countless other providers, sends data directly to be housed within the warehouse, and then customers can go there to access their Lightcast data and all the other feeds needed to run a business. It’s a one-stop shop.
This efficiency simplifies workflows and eliminates the need for a large and unwieldy data infrastructure. It also allows faster decision-making because you have streamlined access to your data, so that you can interact with it however you need using the specific parameters that matter to your organization.
Historically, Snowflake has been the only warehouse to hold Lightcast data. Now, that scope has expanded to include new platforms including Databricks and Google BigQuery, to accommodate as many client preferences and existing data infrastructures as possible.
For clients who prefer to have data stored within their own environments, Lightcast also now offers data feeds, also known as cloud storage. This method provides bulk data delivery to the client's preferred cloud platform and region—including Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage. Data feeds offer a balance between the control of having data in-house and the convenience of automated, regular updates.
Choosing the Right Data Delivery Method
With these new options, clients can now select the data delivery method that best suits their specific needs:
APIs: Ideal for real-time, specific data queries and integration into applications.
Data Shares: Perfect for clients needing large volumes of data for comprehensive analysis, especially those already using compatible data warehouse solutions.
Data Feeds: Best for organizations with robust data infrastructure who prefer to store and manage data internally.
SFTP: Remains an option for clients with specific security requirements or legacy systems.
Not sure which solution is best for you? Our Data Pros would be happy to help—get in touch!
By expanding its data delivery options, Lightcast is empowering clients to make more informed, data-driven decisions with greater ease and efficiency. Whether you need to conduct in-depth labor market analysis, power a data-driven application, or integrate labor market insights into existing business intelligence tools, there's now a tailored solution available.
Better data leads to better decisions, so accurate, easily accessible data, is vital for organizations to avoid mismanaging their greatest resource—their talent. Lightcast's expanded data delivery options make it easier than ever to accomplish that goal.
