The term "Big Data" keeps getting bandied about in business, but what does it mean exactly? What makes data "big"?
Big Data refers to "data that is too large, complex, and dynamic for any conventional data tools to capture, store, manage, and analyze," according to Wipro. What makes Big Data challenging is the volume, variety, and velocity of the data.
Some 57.6% of organizations that Wipro surveyed said Big Data is a challenge, yet 50% of surveyed companies acknowledged that Big Data helps meet consumer demand and facilitate growth.
Big Data can come from interactions among people, such as in virtual communities, social networks, and blogs. People-to-machine interactions, such as medical devices, digital TV, e-commerce, and bank cards, also produce Big Data. Another source of Big Data is machine-to-machine data, such as from GPS devices, surveillance cameras, and sensors.
