Big Data

Big data is large complex data sets included both structured and unstructured data. It is
being generated by everything around us at all times for example personal online purchasing
data and daily internet usage data. Every digital process and social media exchange produces
it. Systems, sensors and mobile devices are used to transmit big data. Big data is arriving
from multiple sources at an alarming velocity, volume and variety. Big data cannot be
analysed by using traditional method. To extract meaningful value from big data, we need
optimal processing power, analytics capabilities and skills.
Big data change the way people within organizations work together. It creating a
culture in which business and IT leaders must join forces to realize value from all data.
Insights from big data can enable all employees to make better decisions. For example an
organisation will know the trend of consumer behaviour after analysed the data of purchase
from customers. By using big data it can deepen customer engagement, optimizing
operations, preventing threats and fraud, and capitalizing on new sources of revenue.
Big Data can be divided in 3 categories:
1. Streaming data
Also called as Internet of Things, this includes data that reaches your IT systems from a
web of connected devices. Organization can analyse this data as it arrives and make
decisions on what data to keep, what not to keep and what requires further analysis.
2. Social media data
The data on social interactions is an increasingly attractive set of information,
particularly for marketing, sales and support functions. This data is often in unstructured or
semi-structured forms, so besides the sheer size of the data, it poses a unique challenge
when consuming and analysing this information.
3. Publicly available sources
Massive data is available through open data sources such as governments data, the CIA
World Factbook or the European Union Open Data Portal.