Expert explains BI’s next steps

The arrival of big data could change the way companies analyze information. Big data will almost certainly alter the way they store files, as it is unlike conventional, structured information in both volume and format. According to Forrester analyst and Forbes contributor Holger Kisker, companies will have to find a way to seize the big data opportunity.

Kisker noted that unstructured data will work differently depending on each user's needs. Some companies may make effective use of data architectures such as open-source Hadoop. Others may find more success keeping information in scalable cloud storage.

According to Kisker, the cloud makes sense as a data storage location due to the fact that big data requires a variety of data management procedures. Rather than transferring information in small pieces into an on-premise system, companies that store their data in the cloud can simply keep it there, in its original format, waiting for analytics.

Big data usage is not a speculative technology, many years away from delivering return on investment. According to a recent Gartner market overview, even advanced uses of data such as predictive analytics are close to ready. Predictive use of data was the only process in the current tech hype cycle to be placed in the "productivity" category by the research firm.