Big Data

Data can be incredibly difficult to deal with, especially when it's coming in large waves. However, there are some wonderful ways to deal with big data that will allow you to save time. And saving time is a good thing — especially for bigger companies.

Big data has become tremendously popular with businesses these days. It’s the latest buzz term that everyone seems to be using to indicate their willingness to use new technology to improve their companies. That doesn’t make it bad; it just means that it’s a clear trend many are eager to become a part of. In fact, its transformative effect is very real despite the tendency of businesses to refer to it as if it were a shiny new toy. As revolutionary as big data analytics has been in just the past few years, some organizations may be misunderstanding how to truly get the most out of it.

It's impossible to ignore big data. Even industries such as oil and gas — which have historically taken a pass on these technologies — are now gearing up to invest in big data. According to a recent Visiongain report, oil and gas companies are set to spend $3.51 billion on big data this year, while the market at large is headed for a $72 billion dollar future by 2022. Bottom line?

2015 is Hollywood’s big comeback! At least, that’s how it’s being reported.

To even suggest that the construction and communication of a story could one day be taken over by computers can lead to eye rolling and dismissive scoffs. After all, storytelling is a uniquely human activity, one that requires creativity, emotion, and a connection with the human audience. At first glance, computer could never replicate such a thing, right? The conventional wisdom, however, might be off in this case. With the rise of big data, new ways to create and tell stories have been developed, leading many to rethink what they previously held to be true about the art of storytelling.

A British entrepreneur, Kevin Ashton coined this term “Internet of Things” in 1999. Also called “Internet of Everything”, it is the way of interaction amongst network of physical objects or things included within software, sensors, electronics, and connectivity. It enables objects to transfer data inside a network, to connect with humans, with computers or with other objects.

Cloud computing is a revolutionary phenomenon in the business world, one that has been going on for several years now. As such, it may come as a surprise to some that the questions surrounding data ownership in the cloud remain an ongoing dilemma -- a complicated issue that’s still far from being resolved. It’s one of the biggest reasons many companies are reluctant to embrace the cloud. After all, why risk sending valuable data into the cloud without a guarantee that it will still be yours in the end? While organizations and cloud providers have been struggling to come up with a workable solution to the dilemma, progress has still been made on the issue.

Apple is often on the cutting edge of technological advances, so it probably shouldn't be a surprise that the company uses big data extensively. Having said that, it’s important to note that it wasn’t always this way. Other businesses like Google were heavily involved in big data years before Apple took the leap, but Apple has worked tirelessly to catch up to the competition. Now, the company has become enmeshed in big data analytics, with the technology driving many of their most important decisions. It’s true that Apple remains highly secretive about how they use big data in many cases, but that hasn’t prevented some interesting insights from being divulged.

Living in a world that is on the verge of explosion with the sheer volume of data points, 'big data' organizations are increasingly on the lookout for a comprehensive platform which can bring the required business intelligence for providing conclusive insights. Besides being capable of sophisticated data analysis and reporting, the ideal platform should also possess the ability to represent data in a way that stands out from the rest of the competing data streams.

Big data seems to be all the rage these days. The same can be said of cloud computing. So it only stands to reason that the two would be brought together as companies start to realize just how effective both are at improving growth and increasing the chances for success. Big data platforms delivered via the cloud have become more and more popular over the past few years for good reason. Businesses see the value big data analytics and ad hoc analysis can offer, and one of the best ways to use it is to adopt a cloud platform for it. Deciding on using big data in the cloud is a relatively straightforward choice for organizations to make.