The Information Tsunami: Big Data

Chaos vs. Meaning

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The explosion of Big Data and Massive Data refers, as it might be easy to predict, to a quantitative aspect that characterizes the science of information in this first quarter of the millennium. If we take all the data generated in the world since the beginnings of history until 2000, the same amount of data is now generated every few minutes. In fact, over 90% of the data in the world was created in the last couple of years.

That said, it is important to recognize that "more" not necessarily means "better", and the fact that we have in our company, business, or pharmaceutical lab thousands of megabytes of data does not necessarily mean that our performance will become immediately more effective. The value lies in the amount of relevant, cohesive and logical information that we can derive from the colossal dataset.

Size is certainly a component of the phenomenon of Big Data, but this concept is also often used to designate other factor: the Organization of the massive information. In the past we relied primarily on structured data-bases, the type that can be put in tables and forms, such as sales transactions by customer, region, etc. Instead, today, we have the ability to use and analyze a variety of data, including written text, spoken words and biometrics, photographs and videos.

Now, to make efficient use of the Big Data we need tools that help extract hidden signals in all that tangle and chaotic data. It is within this framework that companies are gradually moving away from internal databases (intranets) to turn towards the analysis systems hosted on cloud computing (see my article "What Does Cloud Computing Mean" for details).

The information management with a cloud-based infrastructure allows businesses and institutions to generate their analyzes and strategies by putting their questions first and then consider those data sets that may be relevant. With this new method, the analysis doesn't need to be limited to narrow data sets, which are the product of controlled spreadsheets and databases prefabricated and in which only the values change, while any other dynamism factor remains out of the equation [i].

The massive data applications are limitless. Big Data is important for all companies of any size, in any industry.

Applications

• Companies use large volumes of data to better understand their customers through transactions recorded in your own business, but also using data from social networks, mobile applications, etc.

• The companies optimize their procurement processes by analyzing weather and traffic routes in the supply chain.

• Big Data is used in the health sector to find new cures for cancer, to optimize treatment and even predict diseases before they reach the physical symptoms appear.

• Big Data is used to analyze and improve the performance of people (in sports, at home or at work), where sensor data on computers and portable devices can be combined with video analysis for conclusions They were previously impossible to predict.

• Police forces and security agencies use large volumes of data to prevent cyber attacks, detect credit card fraud, terrorism role and even predict the criminal activity.

• Big Data is used to improve our homes, cities and countries by, for example, optimization of heating or lighting, traffic flow in our cities, or the production and consumption of energy. [ii]

[i] "Big Data Possibilities." What Is Big Data: Overview, Video, Use Cases and Articles by Bernard Marr. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
[ii] “Diamonds Or Coal: What Is In Your Data?” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015. 

What does Cloud Computing mean?



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When we hear the term "The Cloud" or "Cloud Computing" we immediately think in a vague and intuitive way of the Internet (and it's true, in fact, that the expression computing cloud has a lot to do with the Internet). However the Internet, in its most proto-archaic form, exists for over 40 years and it is popular for at least 20 without the term cloud being associated to it  in any way. Indeed this term  was coined in recent years to give account of a new phenomenon related to the Internet [i] of a new form of access to applications (the term software is barely used nowadays). Years ago the way to access a program, application or software was typically go to the computer store, purchase some discs and load them into the computer (hardware). Almost inadvertently, this type of access to computing applications has been displaced by its use online .

Without straining much the memory, we can mention the example of Adobe Acrobat, which until very recently called for a download of the program on the computer and now, however, only requires the user registration while all information is supported online . It is true that the documents you create can be downloaded into your private computer (although it is also possible to opt for storage in the cloud ) but the use of the service itself does not require any download. Another example is the emergence of platforms such as SoundCloud which doesn't require any software download but allows users to store their favorite songs and access them from their computers or any other computer. 

The concept of cloud computing is very broad and covers almost every possible kind of service online but when companies offer an utility hosted in the cloud,  they usually refer to one of three modes: software as a service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Software as a service (SaaS) refers to a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a company or service provider and made ​​available to users throughout a network, usually the Internet. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a set of utilities that supplies the user with operating systems and associated services via the Internet without the need of performing any download or installation. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) refers to outsourcing of equipment used to support operations such as storage, hardware, servers and network components [ii] .

Ultimately, the term "The Cloud" does not refer to any "big one-eyed, omni-present mythical creature out in the land of the interwebs"[iii] . but to a new way of accessing and using computing programs.

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[i] The origin of the term cloud computing is unclear. The expression cloud is Commonly used in science to describe a large agglomeration of objects That Appear visually from a distance as a cloud and describe any set of things Whose Further details are not inspected in GIVEN context. Liu, [edited by] Yang Hongji, Xiaodong (2012). "9". Software reuse in the emerging cloud computing era . Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. pp. 204-227. ISBN  9781466608979 . Retrieved 11 December 2014 . (Cited in Wikipedia "Cloud Computing." Wikipedia . Wikimedia Foundation, nd Web. 29 Oct. 2015).

[ii] "What Is Model SPI (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS)?" - SearchCloudComputing Tech Target, Feb. 2012. Web 29 Oct. 2015.
[iii] Greenlee, Greg. "Get your heads out of the Cloud!" Blacks In Technology." Blacks In Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.

Millennials and Multiculturalism

"The Global Society" by Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig
licensed under Creative Commons

It may seem obvious, but it is worthy to drive attention to the fact that majorities are shapers of trends and trends often carry the seeds of its own perpetuation.

There is much talk about the multiculturalism characteristic of the global era, and there are global factors that justify this trend. Of course, the fact that we can connect to Google+ and chat with someone in India or Korea instantly and at a very low cost is one of the key drivers of the multicultural society. But this explanation undoubtedly important, can hide another explanation of a more local and less noticeable order. In the United States (a giant in the field of building culture, through its leadership in the area of music, film, etc) Millennials are the most racially diverse generation in history. According to the 2014 census 43% of Millennials are descendants of Hispanic, Asian or other foreign groups, and the United States Census Bureau forecasts that, not only 50% of the millenials, but about half of all the total population of the country will be "non-white" around 2043 [i] . This circumstance leads to brands and Marketing companies to measure diversity in terms of demographics and calculate the audience based on figures derived from the census. However, as noted at the beginning, "majorities are trends’ shapers" and the impact of the change in the demographic composition does not stop there, in the relation one to one, one Asian, one more consumer of thai food , but that change has a multiplier effect: the "generation of diversity" is an agent that promotes acceptance of transforming and multiplying multiculturalism with energy.

As the advertising consultant Eddie Yoon points out in his article in the Harvard Business Review , culture is not strictly determined by the racial origins or membership of an individual, but is the product of the choices that each person makes about how they spend their time and money. "The essence of culture is a passion shared  by different experiences in common” says Eddie Yoon in his article. This approach to the concept of culture might explain a phenomena such as this one:  the largest consumers of hip hop are not black colored and urban millenials, but 80% of this music is consumed by white men from the suburbs.

However, companies are running their campaigns mistakenly thinking their consumers as a result of a binomial demographic function. The logical corollary of this misunderstanding is the loss of many opportunities in the global market.

[i] United States Census Bureau