A Beginner’s Guide to Big Data And Its Benefits

There was a time when Big Data was just a buzzword that people in high-tech industries tossed around. Those days are officially long gone. Big Data is now an integral part of every industry and every digital platform. From big corporations to individuals doing personal research, Big Data analytics platforms can be used to collect, process, analyze, and store information to better lead the decision-making process for everyone.

The Benefits of Learning to Use Big Data

The clear benefit of learning to use Big Data is that companies can remain relevant and competitive by staying up to date on the needs of their audience. However, it goes so much deeper than that once they realize all the ways using Big Data can help streamline operations, prevent security risks, and create better experiences for customers. Big Data analytics platforms such as those offered by DataTorrent can be used to offer real-time reports that allow decision makers to act as events occur. The great thing about platforms that process, store, and display data is that they can make decisions using both automated responses and human interaction. What are some things that Big Data can do for companies in many different industries? Big Data can help by giving an enterprise the ability to:

  • Create custom shopping experiences for online customers
  • Recommend relevant products to online shoppers
  • Store and access records
  • Anticipate user actions
  • Detect fraudulent activity
  • Define risk
  • Create reports for long-term decision making

Choosing the Right Platform Is Important

It’s so important to choose a platform that offers both high-tech features and user-friendly interfaces. A proper platform should offer a delicate mix of automated activity and user customization. A provider that specializes in offering data platforms covering a wide variety of needs and pulls data from many of sources, including data sensors, social media pages, web or app servers, and click streams are key features to consider. The right platform should collect information that is then processed, analyzed, and delivered in digestible formats. End users should be given access to real-time analytics reports and data visualizations. A comprehensive data platform can offer enterprises of all sizes the following features:

  • Data digestion and transformation
  • Complex data replication
  • Cyber security
  • Risk and fraud management
  • Real-time customer intelligence

Diving into Big Data

The reality is that the deadline to start using Big Data for a business in any industry has already passed. It’s now time to catch up and make sure the benefits that data maximization presents are not wasted. The first step is to decide what the data needs are for a company. Several questions that help start the process may be:

  • Are you looking for ways to increase customer satisfaction?
  • Do you want to reduce the burden on your IT staff?
  • Is security an issue for your business?

A business should also have a good picture of how much data is being handled and stored by them daily. A good Big Data analytics platform will be able to create a specific solution for data driven goals a company may have.