“Big Data” is a term that has become mainstream in recent years. Its beginnings can be traced back to studies and analysis done in the early 2000’s, which found that organizations, big and small, were collecting more and more data and it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage and store.
Big Data, in simple terms, refers to the high amount of data that is collected, the high-rate at which that data is collected, and the variety/complexity of the data. For instance, social media data allows organizations to collect information on shares, sentiment/rating, or other user driven subjective factors. This information is difficult to store in traditional relational databases, which have commonly been used to store data such as customer information, payments, employee records, and other objective things. However, this so-called Big Data is extremely important to companies when advertising and selling their products. Why?
Knowing what their customers interests are, where they live, what kind of music they listen to, their favorite movies and so on are all vital information when building a profile of your target customer. Storing this information, and more importantly figuring out what it all means and how it comes together is a problem many organizations now face. The sheer size and amount of data that has to be stored could take up tens or even hundreds of servers. And like we said, you have to make sense of it all too.
While harnessing Big Data may seem like a large mountain to climb, there is hope for those wanting to keep their current relational databases in place while adding the power of Big Data to their firm. Relational databases have become so engrained in business and so many great technicians educated around these principles it would be foolish to abandon it completely. Coming up with ways to use both simultaneously and cross-reference the two is the key. There are some solutions out there currently such as Hadoop and MongoDB, and more should be on the way in the coming years as the power of Big Data becomes more understood.
How can you make sure your organization is ready for Big Data? It’s a question many are asking. IT consulting experts such as Neovera can ease the process for you. We understand the challenges that enterprises face when it comes to big changes, no pun intended! Learn more about our IT consulting and Database Management services and reach out to use today to discuss how we can help prepare your organization.
Don’t worry. Big Data is not something to fear. We should all embrace its presence and its power and doing what’s necessary now can be a great benefit to your organization down the road.