Big data is a popular trending phrase used at present, referring to the gathering of large volumes of data sets and then using this information with new technologies to make informed decisions. Industry analysts highlight, however, that technology businesses are not simply focused on big data but more broadly on data strategies. Whilst big data is getting a lot of media attention, many technology experts highlight that businesses require the integration of big and small data to really see the total value.

One of the core challenges facing companies is finding the correct tool to manage and measure all of these varying data sets. Many advanced analytical systems run on Apache Hadoop, an application capable of managing data processing and storage. However, it is difficult to find one software solution that can meet all the requirements for all industry issues. There are multiple technologies available today that enable users to explore and measure large volumes of data. Businesses will continue to expand and diversify using new innovative technology and software solutions that are designed to manage specific data sets. Businesses need to seek and integrate with the best technologies available to meet their requirements and not necessarily select and rely on one particular technology to fulfil their expectations.

Keeping data simple

What many clients are looking for is an opportunity to simplify data systems and processes. The sheer volume of data available to enhance business performance often means many businesses will utilise various software systems to control and assess their data and analytics operations. For many, this investment has spiralled out of control, with multiple people working across a number of different systems, which for most companies is simply unsustainable. In order to continue expanding, businesses are looking for ways of simplifying this process and seeking fewer platforms to work with.

The Teradata Vantage data intelligence platform enables users to combine a selection of tools and languages, providing flexibility with multiple data types. Teradata believes it is the only software available that is capable of managing all data, all of the time.

Taking automation even further

Many businesses like Teradata are providing useful automation solutions for managing the processing and storage of data. Data industry professionals believe the future of big data and analytics now lies with expanding automation even further. 

Automation is heavily used within data handling and analytics and still requires a high level of human development and monitoring to ensure everything is running smoothly. Industry leaders are now asking the question of how to remove data scientists from the automation process and apply the principles of AI, Maths and statistics to enhance data collection, learning model development and the deployment of information.  

To truly deliver end-to-end analytics requires a range of skilled professionals that can provide a specialist service. This means you need data engineers, scientists, software engineers, BI and design professionals and many more skilled individuals. These people will still be required to design analytic models but many experts believe that a large part of the more time-consuming management and monitoring tasks will slowly be eradicated. Instead of skilled professionals manual handling data sets, businesses will focus more on AI algorithms to automate these processes.

Applying Blockchain in the future

AI and automation is the current focus for many businesses but there are always new, emerging technologies appearing in the technology market. Blockchain is regarded as one of the next big things to disrupt business and may have some potential as a security solution for technology. Maintaining the balance between the system intelligence of AI with levels of trust and confidentiality are challenging. With larger volumes of data available and more analytics developed mean a greater level of machine intelligence. Businesses need to ensure they understand the implications of their data processes in terms of trust and security and many industry experts believe that Blockchain will play a part particularly as data volumes are increasing rapidly.