Chapter 3
Knowing What You Must about Big Data
In This Chapter
Understanding Big Data
Seeing how Big Data is used in business
Choosing tools for visualization
Anyone who spends time online instinctively knows that data is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. But the magnitude of data growth may shock you. According to Marcia Conner, in her article “Data on Big Data,” 90 percent of all the data in the world has been created in the last two years. (See the article at http://marciaconner.com/blog/data-on-big-data.)
If you're doing business today, it's no secret that you're bombarded by all kinds of data. The key is to use this data as an opportunity to create a competitive advantage. In other words, if you take steps to harness and analyze the data you have, you will be ahead of many of your competitors who are still waiting to figure out what to do with their Big Data.
Defining Big Data
Suddenly, everyone is talking about the presence of Big Data and its impact. Hasn't there always been a steady stream of data that companies can employ? What makes the data so “big” that its mere presence ...
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