Petabyte potential: harnessing the data flood
“Organizations are producing more data than ever before from various internal and external sources, thereby making it critical for them to manage and analyze this enormous volume,” explains Boby Joseph, chief executive officer at StorIT Distribution.
“Although there is no exact definition of big data, most research firms define it as the massive volumes of complex, high velocity and variable data that an organization collects over time and which it is difficult to analyze and handle using traditional database management tools. Such large volumes of unstructured data require advanced technologies and techniques to capture, store, analyze, distribute and manage this information.”
Joseph says that simply acknowledging the phenomenon and trying to apply traditional management tools to accommodate this bewildering array of data sets is not the answer. Businesses need to interact with big data in real time so that they can react quickly and make fast business changes in response to the live situation it represents. The wealth of information can only yield its true value if there is a shift in attitude.
“To address the big data problem, organizations need to change their mindset in addition to upgrading their technology,” states Joseph. “To use big data effectively, organizations need to choose from a number of advanced technologies and new platforms that will help them tap into internal systems, silos, warehouses and external systems. They also need to add resources with skills to use this massive volume of data optimally. This means that the organization’s infrastructure, operations and development team need to work together to tap the full potential of big data.”
So it’s a challenge for everyone. And there are some important questions to consider.