How ‘Big Data’ Is Different

These days, lots of people in business are talking about “big data.” But how do the potential insights from big data differ from what managers generate from traditional analytics?

BY THOMAS H. DAVENPORT, PAUL BARTH AND RANDY BEAN

THESE DAYS, MANY PEOPLE in the information technology world and in corporate boardrooms are talking about “big data.” Many believe that, for companies that get it right, big data will be able to unleash new organizational capabilities and value. But what does the term “big data” actually entail, and how will the insights it yields differ from what managers might generate from traditional analytics?

There is no question that organizations are swimming in an expanding sea of data that is ...