(updated 21 Sept, 2012)
I'm now writing more and more about big data, with a particular focus on how the new world of big data analytics can potentially transform just about anything and everything. However, I just can't keep up with everything that's being discussed -- it seems that there's a river of big data about, well, big data.
My prediction is that I'll be spending an awful lot of time with our customers as they recognize the potential, and begin to organize for success.
If history is any predictor of the future, you'll probably see a comprehensive body of materials emerge much like I did for IT Transformation. Here's the current body of work.
What's Going On, And Why It's Important
"A Manifesto For Big Data" -- I didn't have to make the case, McKinsey did. Essential reading for any executive or leader interested in the topic. Warning: the full document is close to 100 pages.
"Big Data: From Meme To Marketplace" -- a survey on how big data is quickly becoming a formal category that analysts are starting to study.
"Big Data Hits The Big Time In Davos" -- the impact of big data isn't entirely restricted to making more money, it can make the world a better place, as demonstrated by the recent focus at Davos.
"The Human Face Of Big Data" -- EMC is a lead sponsor of a fascinating project to help humanize what big data means for all of us.
"The Tantalizing Propsect Of Open Data" -- a powerful movement is sweeping across the public sector to open up data sets for the greater good.
"The Business Wants Big Data: Are You Ready?" -- recap of an interest survey showing exceptional demand for big data by business leaders, and limited capabilities by the IT teams that support them.
"The Journey To Big Data Analytics" -- a conceptual model on how many organizations will likely progress towards broader analytical proficiency.
"Big Science Means Big Data" -- an interesting example of how big data is the new tool for academic research.
"2011 IDC Digital Universe Study: Big Data Is Here, Now What?" -- a meta-view on the vast rivers of new sources of information now available for harvesting.
"Beyond IT: Building Your Digital Business Model" -- achieving big data analytics proficiency is actually just one component in an overall information-centric business strategy.
The Leadership Angle -- Overcoming Challenges Along The Way
"The Role Of The CIO In Big Data Analytics" -- not every CIO is pushing a big data analytics agenda, but perhaps more should be. This post looks at the reasons why, and provides an overview of the key steps.
"Rewiring The Human Brain In The Era Of Big Data Analytics" -- we weren't programmed to handle data, and that can cause some interesting challenges.
"Learning To Escape The ROI Trap" -- most IT projects are quite correctly justified using an ROI framework -- but every so often, you've got to ditch that tool and go find more appropriate justification framework.
Understanding Data Science, And How It's Different
"Understanding The Big Data Analytics Mindset" -- one of the frequent obstacles I've found is overcoming the vast body of legacy thinking around the topic.
"Understanding The New Rock Star: The EMC Data Science Survey" -- if data science is the key to big data analytics proficiency, understanding data scientists becomes a matter of importance.
"Big Data Analytics Proficiency: The New Six Sigma?" -- I often try to find historical analogies that some people might be familiar with, this is one attempt.
Models And Examples Of Big Data Analytics Proficiency
"BI-as-a-Service: The Cool New IT Project" -- a key part of the journey is making analytics easy to consume.
"Tales From The Trenches: Changing Your Business Model With Big Data Analytics" -- a close view on how EMC is using big data analytics to change one aspect of its business, and some of the non-technical challenges others will inevitably encounter.
"Cloud Meets Big Data In Healthcare: The Importance of ACOs" -- healthcare is a fascinating industry to study with regards to big data analytics: both in terms of the positive impact as well as structural barriers. A related article is here.
"Analytically Enabling The Enterprise via BI As A Service" -- how EMC IT is building on a generic ITaaS capability to work towards broader proficiency.
Dealing With That Queasy Feeling -- Privacy Issues
"The Dark Side Of Big Data and Predictive Analytics" -- with new found power comes great responsibility, are we ready? Also, check out this recent example of the "queasy factor" here.
"Learning To Get Comfortable With Sensorship" -- we've all experienced that creepy feeling when someone demonstrates more knowledge about us than we're comfortable wih.
"My Perfect Privacy Disclosure" -- a tongue-in-cheek view of privacy disclosures, and what a really honest one might look like.
Supporting Technologies And Services From EMC
"EMC and Big Data: An Overview" -- we've assembled a broad range of capabilities to help our customers exploit the power of big data, but there's much more to do!
"HDFS: Coming To An Array Near You" -- big data is landing in the data center, and we've started to see specific innovations from the vendors. Here's an important one from EMC.
"Greenplum UAP And Enabling Your Data Science Team" -- the core of big data is the data science professional, and we're working hard to create specific tools that support what they need to be productive.
"A Big Investment To Support Big Data" -- many of the best tools come from the open source community, and we're doing what we can to help.
EMC's microsite is a good starting point for content. If you want to go deeper, you should spend some time on the Greenplum site, including hosting an excellent data science community forum.
Recent Comments