Big data refers to the large volumes of data that are increasingly being collected and analyzed. The document discusses big data and big analytics, noting that big analytics is the real star as it allows companies to analyze large datasets and gain valuable insights. It concludes by questioning what opportunities big data presents for Dun & Bradstreet.
You've probably heard the term before; it's becoming an increasingly popular one to throw around. I'd assume that everyone here also knows what it means on a technical level, Wikipedia defines it like this:"In information technology, big data is a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications. The challenges include capture, curation, storage, search, sharing, analysis, and visualization."
Wikipedia goes on to explain why this has become a buzzword, and some potential applications:"The trend to larger data sets is due to the additional information derivable from analysis of a single large set of related data, as compared to separate smaller sets with the same total amount of data, allowing correlations to be found to spot business trends, determine quality of research, prevent diseases, link legal citations, combat crime, and determine real-time roadway traffic conditions."Needless to say, all of this data is just noise without analytical tools and techniques to make sense of it all.
With good analytics, the information gained can be surprising. It can help business and government to fine-tune process, marketing, and development to degrees previously unattainable. It will allow them to operate in a more predictive fashion rather than reactive to changing market and sociological conditions. With the proper analytics, big data will allow us to fine-tune things, societal and economic, across the board.
Of course, it's still in its infancy. The tools aren't all in place yet, there is still much to do. And, as you may have already guessed, we're building one of those tools… For us, Big Data… and more significantly Big Analytics are important for Credibility.com and the Credibility score, where we're using an aggregate of social and other data to generate a credibility score; a data-pool and analytics that are only going to grow more complex as the product matures, and hopefully a product that will grow more essential to business.