Think Bigger: Developing a Successful Big Data Strategy for Your Business

From purchasing transactions, to chatter from social networks, to web server logs, to satellite imagery, to traffic flow sensors, it's estimated that we now create--every two days --as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003. What's more, it's expected that the amount of data currently available will double every two years world-wide as virtually everything becomes digitized.



The insights provided by Big Data--the massive volume of information too complex and dynamic to be able to process, store, analyze, and man-age with traditional data tools--enable organizations to make better decisions, improve efficiency, decrease costs, and increase revenue. Yet many companies don't even realize its benefits...and if they do, may still not know how to take advantage of it.



Sharing best practices from companies that have implemented a Big Data strategy including Walmart, InterContinental Hotel Group, Walt Disney, and Shell, Think Bigger reveals how to harness the power of Big Data for your organization. Filled with practical guidance, the book shows you how to:



* Foster an information-centric culture, and enable your employees to develop new operational, tactical, and strategic plans based on real data instead of calculated estimates.

* Know what products to digitize, and how best to utilize public data marketplaces containing already-collected information that could benefit your organization.

* Determine the best way to analyze the data you have using open source tools, analyses, and technologies like Hadoop and MapReduce.

* Establish clear guidelines for respecting your customers' privacy.

* Put the right security measures and procedures in place to protect your organization's and your customers' data, including a crisis plan in the event that you get hacked.



Think Bigger examines Big Data's impact on specific industries, as well as the use of mobile and real-time data. The book takes a clear-eyed look at the growing use of sensor-enabled devices, and the rise of the "quantified self," as more and more consumers use technology to track everything from how much they eat to how many calories they burn. You'll discover how to use gamification tactics such as check-ins, badges, and loyalty programs to generate vast amounts of data in a user-friendly and engaging environment.



Big Data has already begun changing the way business, and even society, is operated. Think Bigger is an essential resource for ensuring that your company isn't left in the dust.



Mark van Rijmenam is Co-founder and CEO of Datafloq. Datafloq is the One-Stop Shop for Big Data, creating the Big Data ecosystem by connecting all stakeholders within the global Big Data market. He is an entrepreneur, a well thought after international public speaker and a Big Data strategist. He gives advice to major organization on how to develop and implement a Big Data strategy. He is co-founder of 'Data Donderdag' a bi-monthly (networking) event in The Netherlands on Big Data to help organizations better understand Big Data.



Connect with Mark van Rijmenam:

linkedin/in/markvanrijmenam

twitter: @VanRijmenam
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Big Data--the enormous amount of data that is created as virtually every movement, transaction, and choice we make becomes digitized--is revolutionizing business.



Organizations can use all this data to glean valuable insight into how best to serve their customers. Big Data is drastically changing business, with companies that have implemented a Big Data strategy financially outperforming their peers by 20 percent. But in order to make sense of the vast amount of information available--from terabytes, to exabytes or even brontobytes--your organization needs to use the right algorithms, tools, and metrics...and it must have a Big Data strategy in place. This book gives readers everything they need to develop a profitable Big Data strategy...and reveals why it's not something organizations can leave to the IT department.



Filled with practical guidance for ensuring that your company stays ahead of the curve, Think Bigger provides you with a clear understanding of the possibilities--and what you must be doing--as this disruptive new technology changes how organizations are managed and operated. You'll find out how:

* Walt Disney World introduced the "MagicBand" wireless wristband to collect real-time location data, purchase history, information about riding patterns, and more, enabling them to make better decisions, improve the park's offerings, and tailor marketing messages while providing a magical experience for their guests.

* Nike improved business, sustainability, quality, and cost by tracking materials in a vendor index, and adding value to their supply chain.

* Purdue University helped students achieve their maximum potential--and boosted retention--by tracking engagement, performance, risk, and feedback for remarkable, award-winning results.



The book reveals how any organization, large or small, can make a business case for Big Data initiatives, prepare for the next wave of soon-to-be in-demand positions such as Big Data Scientists and Managers, and use technologies like Hadoop and Mapreduce to make sense of the data they have. The book makes sense of the latest trends including the mobile revolution, gamification, the Internet of Things, the quantified self and more, while looking ahead to the future of this remarkable development in how business is done.



Correctly managed, Big Data can help you get to know your customers and clients in real time, improve your products, personalize your pricing, identify risks, improve customer support, and identify new markets. Filled with easy-to-understand explanations and case studies across various industries, this book maps out a blueprint for Big Data done right.
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Contents

1 The History of Big Data 1

The Twentieth Century 1

The Twenty-First Century 2



2 What Is Big Data? 5

Explanation of the 7Vs 5

Eight Realities of Big Data You Should Already Know 12

The Impact of Big Data on Society 19

Takeaways 21



3 Big Data Trends 23

On-the-Go Big Data 25

Big Real-Time Data 31

The Internet of Things 36

The Quantified-Self 43

Big Social Data 46

Public Big Data 50

Gamification 53

Takeaways 57



4 Big Data Technologies 58

Hadoop HDFS and MapReduce 59

Open-Source Tools 60

viii Contents

Big Data Tools and Types of Analysis 62

Takeaways 70



5 Big Data Privacy, Ethics, and Security 71

Big Data Privacy 73

Big Data Ethics 80

Big Data Security 84

Takeaways 91



6 Big Data in Your Organization 93

Key Characteristics of Information-Centric

Organizations 96

Some Generic Big Data Uses 98

Big Data and Return on Investment (ROI) 104

Big Data on the Balance Sheet 106

Internal Big Data Opportunities 107

Big Data Roadmap 123

Big Data Competencies Required 127

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Can Achieve

Remarkable Results with Big Data 141

Governance for the Accuracy of Big Data 143

Takeaways 147



7 Big Data by Industry 149

Agriculture Industry 149

Automotive Industry 153

Consumer Goods 157

Education Industry 161

Energy Industry 165

Financial Services Industry 169

Gaming Industry 174

Healthcare Industry 178

Legal Profession 183

Manufacturing Industry 185

Not-for-Profit Sector 189

Media and Entertainment Industry 194

Oil and Gas Industry 198

Contents ix

Public Sector 201

Retail Industry 207

Telecom Industry 211

Transportation Industry 216

Travel and Leisure Industry 220

Takeaways 223



8 The Future of Big Data 225



Glossary 233



Notes 241



Index 265



About the Author 278
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MARK VAN RIJMENAM is founder of the leading big data knowledge platform, Big Data Startups. He is a public speaker and a sought-after strategist who advises major organizations on how to develop their own customized big data strategies
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