Is big data the answer for US education?

Big data analytics has become critical for companies to study their customers more effectively and make more sound decisions. The IT trend is also considered important for the development of America’s schools and other fields, according to Bill Gates. The Atlantic recently reported that the philanthropist believes that data gathering can address economic, health and social issues in the United States and around the globe.

Gates urged other donors to focus less on addressing damage caused by incidents like earthquakes and floods and more time on preventing such events from being such a problem in the first place, The Atlantic reported. Gates also asserted that the federal government needs to up its spending on research and development for policy reforms, especially regarding public education.

On the higher education front, Gates’ organization wants more resources given to institutions that are not defined by their prestige, but how they try to educate underperforming students and provide them with an opportunity to take up a successful career, according to the news source.

Regardless of if big data helps education in the near future, the trend is expected to only grow in stature and importance moving forward.

Global big data technology market on the up and up
A recent study conducted by research firm IDC predicted that the global market for big data technology and services will expand at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 32 percent between 2012 and 2016, with revenues approaching $24 billion. Compared to the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, the big data landscape will grow roughly seven times faster during the forecast period.

Companies that have neglected big data to this point may want to study up on the IT trend, because it is clearly here to stay.

“The big data technology and services market represents a fast-growing, multibillion-dollar worldwide opportunity,” noted IDC Vice President Dan Vesset. “It is an important topic on many executive agendas and presents some of the most attractive job opportunities for people with the right technology, analytics, communication, and industry domain expertise.”

The rapid evolution of big data will also result in the increased demand for IT experts in this field. However, IDC noted that such professionals will be in short supply in the immediate future, causing many firms to implement cloud-based solutions and automation tools to get by in the interim.