In Part One of our two-part miniseries on the big data trends we can expect to see flourish in 2016, we looked at how real-time analytics and the move to include analysts in boardroom meetings will be staples of the field of big data in the year ahead.
This time, we'll look at two more trends that will define big data in 2016:
1. Data Will Be Treated Like An Asset
Everyone's talking about how valuable data is, but how many businesses are truly assigning a dollar value to the virtual mountains of data they've collected? According to TechRepublic, 2016 will be the year where businesses start treating the data they have like a real asset, rather than something they manage and use without a well-defined plan. This shift in mindset stems from the fact that the kinds of data that can be collected and the sources of that information are growing rapidly.
"As with any asset, all forms will be collected, maintained, and utilized," Rob Thomas, vice president of product development for the analytics platform at IBM, told TechRepublic. "Not just the traditional structured data, but unstructured, text, Internet of Things (connected devices), etc."
2. The Old Will Meet The New
Deal Street Asia explained that until recently, most businesses treated data science and advanced analytics as something completely separate from traditional Business Intelligence practices and tools. But as big data becomes entrenched in established businesses, the line between the old and the new will blur.
Being able to access historical data through modern interfaces and devices can be made possible with a mature, reliable Web-based terminal emulator. This tool is relatively inexpensive and can give employees and analysts access to older mainframes that still contain relevant information so they may make more informed decisions.