Gene by Gene’s Modern Customer Experience Powered by DataStax

SANTA CLARA, CA – July 17, 2018 – DataStax, powering the Right-Now Enterprise with the always-on, distributed cloud database built on Apache Cassandra®, announced today that Gene by Gene, a leader in consumer DNA testing products for ancestry and genealogy applications, will leverage graph capabilities from DataStax Enterpriseto modernize its customer experience. 

The use of DataStax Enterprise (DSE) and DSE Graphwill provide Gene by Gene customers with always-on access to its immense online family tree and genome database for a better customer experience. Gene by Gene will implement DSE and DSE Graph to power the delivery of test results to customers and manage the analysis of data behind family trees that can extend to more than a quarter of a million people. 

The Challenge: Modernizing the Customer Experience

According to industry estimates, the number of people who have had their DNA analyzed with direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy tests more than doubled during 2017 and now exceeds 12 million– making genealogy one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Gene by Gene, founded in 2000, offers genetic genealogy testing for anyone interested in learning more about their genetic makeup and also provides access to resources that allow customers to research and build out their family tree. As the genetic and genealogy market continues to grow, Gene by Gene needed to modernize its database infrastructure and offer a consistent and reliable platform for its users. With family trees able to grow to hundreds of thousands of people, Gene by Gene needed search and compute capabilities that could scale quickly to support a seamless customer experience. 

The Solution: Built On DSE Graph

For its data management needs, Gene by Gene turned to DataStax. The performance of legacy systems was tied to database performance so it began to look at using non-relational databases, especially graph, starting with its family tree feature. Specifically, the company was looking for an always-on solution and products that could not only allow its team of developers to collaborate thoughtfully during this project, but also that could integrate seamlessly with Apache Cassandra®, which it was already using to future-proof its technology. For these reasons, Gene by Gene has begun to deploy DataStax with: 

• DataStax Enterprise, an always-on, distributed cloud database, designed for hybrid cloud. 
• DSE Graph, which enables enterprises to identify and analyze hidden relationships between connected data to build powerful applications for several use cases, such as: fraud detection, customer 360, social networks, and real-time recommendations.
• DataStax OpsCenter, an easy-to-use visual management and monitoring solution for DataStax Enterprise.
• DataStax Studio, an intuitive and collaborative tool for developers designed to help Cassandra Query Language (CQL), DSE Graph, and Spark SQL language development.

“The performance of our website was completely dependent on the performance of our database,” said Dave Bechberger, chief software architect at Gene by Gene. “We needed to work with a partner that could help us build out our services, scale them up and down and use our resources more efficiently – and we found that with DataStax.” 

“We’re proud to provide the best distributed database available to Gene by Gene during this mission critical project  for the company,” said Steve Rowland, EVP and President atDataStax. “Gene by Gene required an always-on, scalable database that’s able to leverage the value of Apache Cassandra and DSE and DSE Graph provides these benefits. Migrating to our distributed, cloud database will ultimately support the company’s future growth and make it easier for Gene by Gene customers to find the clues that unlock their past more efficiently.” 

About Gene by Gene 

Gene By Gene was founded in 2000, specializing in DNA-based ancestry & genealogy as FamilyTreeDNA. The first company of its kind, FamilyTreeDNA captured the hearts of genealogy enthusiasts and to this day remains the leading company in the space. 

About DataStax

DataStax powers the Right-Now Enterprise with the always-on, distributed cloud database, built on Apache Cassandra® and designed for hybrid cloud. The foundation for real-time applications at massive scale, DataStax Enterprise makes it possible for companies to exceed expectations through consumer and enterprise applications that provide responsive and meaningful engagement to each customer wherever they go. Our product also gives businesses full data autonomy, allowing them to retain control and strategic ownership of their most valuable asset in a hybrid cloud world. DataStax helps more than 400 of the world’s leading brands like Capital One, Cisco, Comcast, eBay, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Safeway, Sony, UBS, and Walmart transform their businesses through right-now applications focused on enterprise optimization and customer experience. For more information, visit www.DataStax.com and follow us on Twitter @DataStax.