Big data: what is it?

Definition of Big Data: The big data or big data refers to all of the digital data produced by the use of new technologies for personal or professional purposes. This crosses business data (emails, documents, data basehistory of processors professions…) as well as data from sensorscontent published on the web (images, videos, sounds, texts), e-commerce transactions, exchanges on social networksdata transmitted by connected objects (electronic labels, smart meterssmartphones…), geolocated data, etc.

The term “Big Data” dates back to 1997 according to the Association for Computing Machinery. In 2001, the analyst from the firm Meta Group (now Gartner) Doug Laney described big data according to the principle of the “three Vs”:

• the Volume massively increasing data;
• the Variety of this data which can be raw, unstructured or semi-structured;
• Velocity, which designates the fact that this data is produced, collected and analyzed in real time.

Some companies add a fourth “V” to this definition for Veracity, which refers to the need to verify the credibility of the source and the quality of the content in order to be able to exploit this data.

Big data and data storage

The rise of big data has followed the evolution of data storage and processing systems with, in particular, the advent of cloud computing and supercomputers. From now on, we speak of petabytes and zettabytes to designate the volumes represented by big data. According to the firm’s forecasts IDCthe volume of data produced in the world will reach 40 zettabytes in 2020.

Marketing, science, commerce: the fields of big data

The exploitation of big data has opened up new perspectives in many fields: scientific research, politics, communication, medicine, meteorologyI’ecologyfinance, trade, etc.

Using analytical tools and modelization data, researchers, companies, administrations can carry out trend or predictive analysis, draw up profiles, anticipate risks and monitor phenomena in real time…

Some specialized training allow you to master all the foundations necessary for the exploitation of big data. For companies specializing in big data solutions, this is a real Eldorado and a trend that is part of the duration with a market estimated at several tens of billions of dollars.

How does big data work?

Big data makes it possible to meet a huge technological challenge: storing a large amount of data from different channels on a huge hard drive, easily accessible from all over the world. Data stored in a safe place and recoverable at any time in the event of any incident.

To achieve this, the files are cut into several fragments called “chunks”. These shards are then spread across multiple computers, and there are different ways to put them back together. A breakdown occurs? Another machine comes to take over by taking another path. Thus, the different pieces of the puzzle remain permanently available, and can be assembled in one way or another.

Massive data duplication is one of the cornerstones of big data architecture. Cloud computing, supercomputers hybrids (high performance computing or HPC) and distributed file systems (DFS or distributed files system) are among the main storage models currently available.

How does big data predict consumer behavior?

Big data includes information published on social networks (age and contact details, opinions, comments, photos, videos), web browsing (through the famous cookies) and online purchases. This data provides very interesting clues about consumer behavior and market trends.

If you have just bought running shoes on an e-commerce site and if you have published a photo of yourself running the Paris marathon, you are a tempting target for sports brands. These brands will be able to send you newsletters or promotional offers on products associated with your shoes in order to complete your equipment.

Big data makes it possible to know your profile, but also your overall behavior: frequency of use of social networks and of your online purchases (history of transactions, expenses incurred), channels used, hours of connection, etc…

What is big data used for?

the big data is an essential tool for companies BtoB and BtoC. The data collected helps them craft personalized marketing campaigns tailored to the needs, preferences and behaviors of consumers. This information helps to improve the customer experience, attract prospects and retain existing customers.

Improved targeting makes marketing campaigns more effective and reaches the desired segment, the one most likely to be interested in the company’s products and/or services. Big data is also a competitive advantage for professionals who hold a multitude of data, because they can anticipate changes in behavior and better understand why consumers have turned to a particular service provider.

Big data is a valuable tool in vast private and public domains ranging from online sales to scientific research, including culture, politics (election campaigns), transport, insurance, industry, the banking sector. and energy.