What is big data?
Summary
Big data: vast structured and unstructured data challenges traditional processing. Sourced from transactions, machine data, and social media generated by people. Companies innovate to attract data generation, emphasizing analytics for insights. Conversion and utilization present challenges, demanding tools like Hadoop and skilled analysts.
Table of Content
There is no rigid definition for " Big data". It is an all-inclusive term that refers to the voluminous amount of structured and unstructured data that is so big that it’s difficult to process using traditional databases and software techniques. In business terms, Big Data refers to the technology an organization can adopt to extract meaningful information. This information is owned by a company that can be collected, organized, and analyzed to produce business intelligence and value in the best possible way.
Big Data has the potential to change how an organization, a government, and an institution perceive and use the data.
Where does it come from?
“Big Data” is generated by everything that is around us at an alarming velocity, variety, and volume. It has created an explosion in all corners of the business world.
It is not created by an IT vendor. Then where does it come from? It comes from us. We are the Creators. The consumer demand to do things digitally has triggered small and large-scale businesses to move more and more functions online.
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Transaction data – data generated from financial orders (invoice or payment), activity records and logistics (deliveries, storage records or travel records).
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Machine data – data generated from industrial equipment, real-time data from sensors (sensors embedded in roads to monitor traffic), and weblogs.
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Social Data – data generated from social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, online videos, etc.
These repository sites are merely the venues where our content lies. Without us, the big multibillion-dollar organizations could not exist (also consider checking out this perfect parcel of information for data science degree).
We own “Big Data”
The Big Data Market
The biggest challenge of big data is to convert and use the data.
Due to traditional relational databases, the analysis of big data takes too much time and cost. Many companies and certified professionals are trying hard and looking for solutions (also consider checking out this career guide for data science jobs).
New analyzing schemes are introduced that use complex algorithms to analyze and unlock hidden patterns. Big Data Analytics breaks the data into smaller chunks for efficient processing. It is associated with cloud computing and requires a complex platform like Hadoop to store a high volume of data. The analytic findings lead to new business opportunities and benefits.
It is typically a separate division in an organization with people of a different breed – highly qualified DBA’s and certified Business intelligence professionals for extracting meaningful information and insights. With greater access to big data, more valuable information can be derived, which leads to wider improvement of an organization.