Data is taking over, that much is clear. After all, I doubt this is the first ‘top ten data trends in 2017’ you’ve seen; and for good reason. With such a monumental paradigm shift looming on the horizon in the form of Big Data Analytics Solutions, it’s impossible for analysts, researchers, bloggers and writers not to get a little giddy about what the future may hold in one of the most interesting new developments in technology to come along in a while.
Image Credit: AlgoworksAfter all, data has already begun to rule our lives. Algorithms and the processing of data have come to dominate or innovate a number of fields from robotics to internet searches.
The reality is that data is only becoming more integral to our everyday lives. Whether it’s for business or leisure, data is only growing in importance. As such, we’ve gone ahead and compiled the top 10 data trends in 2017 so you can stay ahead of the curb.
Hadoop
The software program known as Hadoop has been making quite the name for itself since it exploded on the scene a little over a decade ago. While that hardly qualified Hadoop as new, what is a data trend in 2017 are the new applications that Hadoop is able to perform.
Whether it’s the always improving software itself or offshoot industries like Hadoop as a Service (HaaS), the room for growth within and surrounding Hadoop is huge. Add that to all the various applications of the software, and you have a Big Data tool set to increase in importance in the coming years.
In case you need a refresher on Hadoop, here’s a list of handy blogs about new developments with the software.
Internet of Things
One of the obvious trends in data in 2017 will be, well, the creation of more data. While that’s hardly new – after all, we’ve witnessed exponential growth in data creation over the past few years – what’s different going forward is that the Internet of Things (IoT) will change the nature of that data.
As more objects in our world become connected, we’ll be able to gather information at a rate never before thought possible. From wearable smart watches to smart construction, we are entering a new era of connectivity. And with all those linking devices, data will proliferate like never before.
Business Intelligence
As mentioned with Hadoop and IoT, there are plenty of ways for businesses to take advantage of data in order to better themselves. And we’re seeing that already as the market behind business intelligence continues to grow. And for good reason. Being able to take innumerable data points and orchestrate them in such a way as to derive meaningful, actionable conclusions from it is a new tool that in the past simply wasn’t available.
With data now more readily accessible, businesses have more information at their hands and with that comes better choices. As data and data gathering continue to expands, that wealth of information will only continue to expand in conert, and alongside it will come a better and more informed decision making process.
Data Science
After all I’ve said about data being the way of the future, it only makes sense that the jobs surrounding that future will open up.
A data scientist is critical to nearly every item on this list, as being able to sort and decipher seemingly disparate data points into something usable is going be a crucial skill moving forward. As such, we’re going to see an explosion in the field of data science as we continue to find new ways to process and sort data.
Blockchain
Popularized by Bitcoin, which for the first time this year surpassed the gold per ounce price, the blockchain is set to revolutionize the financial industry and any other sector that wants to take advantage of its multiple perks.
With the anonymity and transparency of the transactions, blockchain technology has already done away with countless middlemen in the financial industry. Expect to see blockchain technology only gain in popularity as we move forward.
Machine Learning
Robots and machines are becoming more lifelike by the day. A big reason for that is the ability to take in and process tonnes of data in order to improve themselves. Machine learning is predicated on the ability to process data to come up with new modes of action. As such, as we continue to become more sophisticated in our collecting and usage of data, so too will machine learning benefit from our progress.
AI
Closely tied to machine learning is the artificial intelligence, or AI. The fantasy of sci-fi nerds everywhere is becoming more a reality with each passing year. We now have machines that have bested us at Jeopardy!, Go and chess, but the final hurdle will be to create programs that can think are fully autonomous. While we’re not there yet (and a great many tech luminaries from Elon Musk to Bill Gates have warned us against pushing too far, too fast) AI is coming along at a steadying clip, and Big Data will only serve to advance that development.
Tailored Internet
You hear the term ‘fake news’ get bandied about a lot, but a big reason for the current media schism is derived from the algorithms that dominated your search engine and social media. By creating a profile of you based on your search history, purchases online, streaming data, etc., companies are now more than ever able to compose a complete picture of you as a consumer. While admittedly a little creepy, this is only going to become more prominent as we live a huge portion of our lives on the web and the data stored on us continues to pile up.
Importance of the Cloud
Data storage and processing are two pillars of data science and both are helped by the introduction of the cloud. Instead of rows and rows of on-site servers, programs and companies are finding novel ways to take advantage of the cloud for their own betterment. And the interaction between the cloud and data will only become more intertwined as we continue to make strides in both technologies.
Data Breaches Become Even More Problematic
One of the drawbacks to Big Data is that it’s not so easy to keep safe. Hacking reached new heights in 2016 in terms of the chaos it sowed and the threat it posed. With more data being created, we can only anticipate that hacks will become more invasive. While companies and the government alike are hard at work trying to develop the best defenses against these attacks, as Big Data continues to grow, so too will the risk and damage of a hack become.
Brooke loves surfing through social media, so she made it a full time job and works as a social media manager at Entrance Software Consulting. And loves all things Tech. When not working, she eats and sleeps, in that order.
