BIG DATA : WHAT EXACTLY IS IT ?
November 26, 2021 | Minna Azmy
We have all heard the term ‘Big Data’ before, but did you spare a moment to learn what exactly it is? How it works? How important it is ? And what the future of big data would look like?
Big Data basically refers to a huge amount of data, that is rapidly growing every day. It comes in massive sizes and its very complex in nature.
Essentially, big data is a combination of structured, unstructured, and semi structured data.
Structured – well organized set of data
Unstructured – unorganized data in the raw format
Semi-Structured – partially organized data
Big data can be generated through a variety of sources. Take a moment and think of what happens as you click on an app or visit a website and scroll through its contents. Almost all your online and device activity generates a big amount of data. These could be data derived from Ad Tracking, App Tracking, social media sites, click stream logs , simple business transactions and many other sources. So when you put together these data that is growing exponentially in its size and complexity, you call it Big Data !
Since there is no definite numerical standard to define big, big data is often characterized by three factors. They are:
Volume - huge amounts of data typically being stored in Terabytes, Petabytes, Exabytes, Zettabytes and Yottabytes.
Velocity - massive speed at which data flows in, is processed and collected.
Variety – data is obtained through various sources
In addition to these 3V’s , there are few other characteristics such as veracity: trustworthiness of data and the variability of ways businesses can use and process data.
Nowadays, big data is used by businesses extensively in analysis. It helps them improve their operations, enhance customer service, create personalized marketing campaigns, and hence maximize their profits.
Big data is used across many sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, telecommunication, sports, finance, governments and many more. It helps medical companies to identify disease risk factors and diagnose illnesses, it enables energy companies to identify drilling and oil location and aids governments with crime detection and emergency response.
Every coin has two sides, so big data poses certain challenges too. Can you name one of the biggest threats? It violates user privacy! Not just that, there is increased security risks and cybercrimes involved due to big data. The quality and validity of data may also be questionable in certain cases, making it harder to manage.
Data will continue to grow unbelievably in the years to come. By combining big data and machine learning, computers will become exceptionally intelligent and transform human lives. And with that, privacy will always remain to be a pressing issue.
සටහන - Minna Azmy