The concept of big data continues to confuse many environmental professionals. While big data expert Bernard Marr offers some explanations in his recent Forbes article summarized below, attempting to harness the power of big data without the right tools can still be a little scary.
Marr’s 5 telltale signs include:
You ignore big data - Bad move. Data and the ability to turn data into business value will become increasingly important.
You think big data is about data - It is not; it’s about how you use the information you glean from the data.
You think big data is about quantity - Big data isn’t just about the volume of data; it is equally about the variety of data to which you now have access.
You think the more data you get your hands on the better - Collecting and storing as much data as you can is a very costly enterprise. Understanding the questions you want to answer before designing a big data project allows you to remain lean and focused on the outcomes.
You think big data means you need to collect and store large amounts of your own data – You probably don’t. Many organizations find that much or all the data they need already exists thanks to open government data initiatives and some other sources.
These reason and more are why we built and deployed the low-cost EcoBlu Analyst environmental big data tool. EcoBlu Analyst tames the overwhelming amount of available environmental data and turns it into smart, usable, information through a user-friendly powerful mobile interactive system.
If you still don’t understand environmental big data, you just may be using the wrong big data tools. Subscribe to EcoBlu Analyst here or watch an EcoBlu Analyst demonstration HERE.