Big Data Shows Big Promise, Despite Some Growing Pains
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The Big Data Priority
With 77% of the respondents making big data analytics a priority, the opportunity for the channel is ripe. -
Big Data Channel Sweet Spot
The biggest single segment making big data analytics a high priority was companies with 100 to 999 employees at 57%. -
Big Data Organizational Benefits
A full 74% of respondents said big data would make information more transparent while 72% said big data would improve speed and accuracy of decision-making. -
Additional Big Data Drivers
Real-time data access (65%), timely integration of data (63%), quicker determination of when changes are needed (63%) and automated decision-making (61%) are significant big data drivers. -
The Big Data Business Case
Improving speed and reducing complexity was the dominant reason to invest in big data (62%), followed by customer retention (50%). -
Big Data Projects Under Way
A full 71% report they have started at least one big data project or plan to in the next 12 months. But only 29% are in an actual early stage of deployment. Most of the smaller companies surveyed are still investigating the big data opportunity. -
Top Three Big Data Challenges
Big data project and management costs tops the list, followed by how to scale the environment and, then, the integration of data and applications. -
Sizing the Big Data Opportunity
Almost half (46%) say they are managing 10TB or more per month while 21% say they are managing 100TB of data a month. -
Big Data Growth Rates
Survey respondents say they expect data volume to grow 45% over next two years, and 10% say data volumes will more than double. -
Types of Big Data Being Used
Nearly 40% report they are using semi-structured data, social networking data and structured e-commerce data in combination. -
Types of Big Data Systems Being Used
Only 32% plan to acquire purpose-built systems for big data, while 37% plan to use or are using commodity hardware. The vast majority plan to increase use of in-house systems. -
Big Data Technologies Under Consideration
Analytical databases top the list at 44%, followed by business intelligence tools and relational databases, at 41% each. -
Big Data Scalability Challenges
With 43% looking for easier big data tools to use and another 41% in need of more network bandwidth, there are significant additional big data opportunities for the channel. -
Where the Data Warehouses Are Located
65% of companies with 1,000 or more employees use an enterprise data warehouse to house their data while 43% of companies with 100 to 199 employees use a vendor database. -
No Vendor Dominates the Category
Only one vendor (IBM, with 12%) received more than 10% of the responses when customers were asked which vendor they were working with, and 43% said they were not working with any vendor.
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Defining MSPs' Goals, Challenges and Tools 
Why Metrics Matter to the Channel Interest these days in big data and related markets is, well, big. A survey of 540 big data decision-makers conducted by QuinStreet Enterprise, which owns Channel Insider, finds that more than three-fourths of respondents have made big data analytics a priority and 71 percent either have or plan to implement a big data project in the next 12 months. Yet most respondents are not far along in moving big data applications into deployment. From a channel perspective, the most notable aspect of the survey may be the 57 percent of the companies with 100 to 999 employees that have big data projects under way. Of course, the big data opportunity goes far beyond databases, Hadoop and storage; big data tools and increased demand for more network bandwidth may turn out to be huge opportunities for the channel. In the meantime, the study also finds that no one vendor dominates the big data landscape yet. "This is indicative of a young emerging market," the study concluded. "While there has been a great deal of hype about big data, and great anticipation of the benefits big data potentially can deliver, many organizations have not yet invested in solutions." Channel Insider takes a look at key data points from the study.