Big Data Definition: what is it?

big data definition
big data definition

Dernière mise à jour: 20 mai 2023

The word Big Data is used more and more, sometimes to excess and sometimes in situations where it is not necessary. Then what is big data ? Why is it so valuable for businesses? What are the stakes of all this data and why is it such a big business?

So many questions that we will answer to give you a clear and precise vision of Big Data.

Big Data definition

The term, which can be translated into French as “Big data”, Appeared in the early 2000s. At the time, the Internet exploded and began to take more and more place in our lives. Exchanges between users and these technologies are going well and the amount of data to be stored is exponential. THE'all of these digital data created by technology make up the “Big Data".

Companies have access to a whole lot of information from the moment an Internet user browses their site. These data can also be purchased to benefit from external information.

Whether personal or professional, every interaction with a website, every message posted on social networks, every search ... creates Data.

Data is information that is stored in the abyss of the net and decrypted by Data analyst specialized in reading mass data.

Le Big Data allows companies a new approach to their business. This approach based on data analysis allows them to implement new techniques so that the prospect becomes a customer and engages with the company. the Big Data helps companies get to know Internet users better and to better meet their expectations.

To better understand Big Data: the 3 “V” principle

To describe the Big Data principle, analyst Doug Laney defined the 3 “V” model: Volume, Speed ​​and Variety.

  • Volume represents the mass of data generated. Companies, with more and more global offers, attract a lot of traffic and therefore accumulate terabytes of data.
  • Speed describes the ability of the company to capture data. Some systems only allow scans after several hours, while others allow real-time scans. The reactivity of the company is inevitably modified.
  • The variety data is the last item. The databases are now able to process digital data, textual data, geo-locations, types of connections, etc.

The challenges of Big Data

Le Big Data obviously represents a huge economic and commercial stake.

For companies it is a way of better meet consumer expectations by analyzing this data.

By working hand in hand with the various trades, the analyzed data makes it possible to improve the user experience.

The abundance of this data allows precise and consistent costing, which in turn makes it possible to react quickly to trends in order to adapt its offer.

Connaître are client is one of the main challenge for a company. Optimizing data processing is therefore an increasingly important expense item within the company.

More attention, the user on his side becomes very sensitive information collected by different technologies. It is even repulsive at the idea of ​​having his actions watched on the net.

Assurer à l’utilisateur une sécurité optimale and data protection is a major issue for all Internet players if they want to keep the trust of their users.