Experts: Data now defines business

A recent ZDNet inspection of the big data analytics field found experts confident that the technology will change business and demand new strategies. With the promise of improved insights and decision-making, companies are pivoting away from classic data management strategies and embracing large unstructured data stores.

Storage analyst and consultant Jerome Wendt stated that companies have begun to store more of their information, even intellectual property, in unstructured form. He described unstructured data as the primary area of growth for companies and said companies are eager to both mine and protect their big data.

John Maxwell, a data protection executive, told ZDNet that firms see more of their data than ever as mission critical. He noted that 10 years ago companies considered 10 percent of their information critical. Now, the number is closer to 50 percent.

One question going forward is how long enterprises can afford to store everything they create. Information Management broached the subject recently. Citigroup's Mark Temple-Raston, according to the source, stated that keeping every piece of information will soon be unsustainable, with companies creating more data than ever and the rate of creation showing no signs of leveling off.