Big data can be very overwhelming, and it can often be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to managing it. From knowing where to collect your data and data analysis to how best to send it through your network, and make sure it is in a format you can accept, the process can be daunting.
According to a recent article by Forbes, data volumes are simply exploding. More data has been created in the past two years than in the entire previous history of the human race. The White House has already invested more than $200 million in big data projects. One thing is for sure, big data continues to remain a hot topic of discussion, and managing it and using it in meaningful ways continues to be a priority for agencies.
Recently at the ATARC Big Data Summit in Washington DC, government leaders came together and suggested that big data is evolving so rapidly that the term doesn’t even encompass the explosion of data, programs, projects or even the roles involved.
“I actually hate the term ‘big data,’” Martin Trevino, Ph.D., senior strategist and organizational architect, National Security Agency told the audience. “It’s so genericized, so overused, [it’s] devaluing everything we do.”
Given the complexities around big data and data management, we expect that many government customers are confused as to where to begin. Here at TechSource, we had a chance to sit down with Jim Smid from Iron Bow Technologies and asked him to share his thoughts with us. He explained the key to simplifying complex data is to truly understand the possibility of what you can pull from your data. “Having someone that’s been through that process before, and understands the ‘art of the possible,’ is the key,” explains Smid.
It is impossible for one person to look at 100TB of data in one day. So agencies continue to grapple with how to manage massive amounts of data and make sense of the information collected for increased efficiencies.
So how do you find a company that can match the mission requirements of your agency to the realm of possibility? “It’s important to find a company that can simplify data, while also fitting the technology to your business needs,” says Smid.”
A lot of things happen with data analytics that are about “the art of the possible.” You have to know what you can start taking out of the data and how to make it all fit and work together.
When working with complex technologies, it can be difficult to figure out how to navigate. “Leveraging multiple sources and data sets requires a great deal of engineering to simplify. At Iron Bow, we make it our job to simplify what can be an overwhelming environment.”
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