Big data is a term being used currently to describe the global and industry challenges with data capture, integrity, quality, analytics, usage, value, etc. IBM has taken the lead in the market with a platform and solutions that help companies manage Big Data and bring value to the organization while managing costs and streamlining operations.
Big data allows companies to get data valuable insight to new and emerging types of data and content. Using this data can make companies more agile and quicker to respond to management’s financial, performance, operational and marketing needs.
IBM’ Big Data platform looks at organizations holistically at the enterprise level while considering the needs of each dependent business line.
The main components of IBM’s Big Data platforms are:
- Hadoop based analytics
- Data warehousing
- Information governance
- Data integration
There are 3 main dimensions of Big Data:
- Volume: Companies have data growth of all types that makes management of the data volume impossible.
- Velocity: Things are moving at lighting and without proper management of data, there are lost opportunities, potential fraud or reputational risk that can result
- Variety: Big data is any type of data – structured and unstructured data such as text, sensor data, audio, video, click streams, log files and more.
The benefits and results of a successful Big Data program powered by IBM is:
- Integration and management and large volumes of data
- Use of advanced analytics and management dashboards
- Ad-hoc analysis and visualization of information to users
- Optimization of company’s workload, productivity and resource management
IBM Big Data is a real world situation:
- Assume for a minute that a company has recently grown 30% due to acquisition and organic growth. There are disparate systems and differing cultures on how systems should be integrated, what types of tools should be used, how best to slice and dice data received from various systems and the types of dashboard reports that should be consistent across a company.
- These challenges are creating internal wars and silos of organizations that want to do it their way. Various data related projects get started without a central data organization or vision.
- A new Data Executive is assigned to calm the beast and centralize efforts. This executive has found success with IBM Big Data at their previous organizations and promotes its benefits.
- New company wide initiatives are formed to address the core/root data issues with IBM Big Data as the solutions/mindset that can resolve the issues.
- The work is broken down in phases with success criteria set for each phase. Leaders in the organization are held accountable for the success of the program and adoption of IBM’s Big Data strategy and solutions.
- The 1st two phases complete with measureable success as well as improvement points. This type of strategy and tactical actions will allow companies to embrace ‘oneness’ and march to a common goal.
Big Data may be a trendy term, but has been a problem occurring for years and will be here forever. It is for companies and the key stakeholders to acknowledge the problems and put actions in place to resolve the issues tactically with an agreed upon strategy.
