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Big Data consists of the use of a huge range of technologies for the intelligent analysis of large volumes of data (structured, unstructured and semi-structured) to analyze the current situation of a company and predict the future one. It is a set of tools that use complex algorithms to analyze the available data and make useful predictions for increasing profitability.

Big Data

Companies apply complex algorithms combining user data on their preferences and activity from previous purchases. The same happens when Google offers advertising on the computer screen relating to the users recent searches.

But where does all this information come from? Mostly the United States, more than 3,500 petabytes of Big Data are from North America and 2,000 from Europe.

People are always creating and storing information and it’s constantly growing. As some experts affirm, if you could keep all last year data’s bits and bytes on CDs, we would generate a large tower of CD’S from the Earth to the Moon and back.

To give you an idea, Twitter generates around 12 terabytes of daily tweets and Facebook stores over 100 petabytes in photos and videos.

Big DataAccording to a project made by the United Nations, it is expected to reach a volume of global mobile data traffic of 10.8 exabytes per month in 2016 that means 130 exabytes per year. This traffic volume is equal to 33 billion of DVDs or 813 quadrillion of text messages per year.

It’s not only people who create and store information, there’s also huge amount of machine-to-machine communications (M2M) that plays a very important role in the creation of Big Data. For example, the data generated by digital sensors in shipping containers to determine the localization of a package.

What are the different types of Big Data?

Types of Big Data

First, all of the data which come from the wide array of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs …etc.

Second, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) is generated by different types of technologies that connect online devices.

Third, Big Transaction Data includes billing records, call logs … etc

Fourth, Biometrics includes data such as retina scans, fingerprints, facial recognition … etc

Finally, Human Generated data are generated by people as emails, memos, phone calls … etc.

This explosion of “big data” is transforming the way to solve complex problems in all areas. The use of Big Data has helped researchers to discover things that would have taken years to obtain otherwise. Given the speed of analysis, it is now possible for a data analyst modify algorithms on the fly and rework procedures and calculations in real time.

In business, this Big Data allows companies to know minute about their clients’ needs and preferences.

The number of courses to learn Big Data is growing constantly. Coursera, Harvard or Stanford offer some of the best. If you know English, programming, mathematics and statistics, you’re already on your way to becoming a Big Data expert.

Good Luck!

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