Big Data: Not Just for Big Business Anymore

Even though big global brands appear to be making all of the news and noise surrounding Big Data, the powerful computing necessary to run business analytics is not out of reach for mid-market companies. That’s good news for those who may be thinking about investing in Big Data solutions in order to gain fresh insight into their customers’ experiences, expectations and buying habits.

According to industry analysts, spending is expected to more than triple in the near term, from $867M in 2012 to $3.6B in 2016. Fortunately, there are a number of cost-effective ways SMBs (small and mid-market business) can cash in on the Big Data revolution. ICC, a nationally recognized enterprise technology leader, has outlined six steps mid-market companies can take to assess whether a Big Data solution is within reach.

Click through for six steps SMBs can take to assess whether a Big Data solution is within reach, as identified by ICC.

Make sure that a valid business need exists with an ROI that is both provable and achievable.

Start by identifying two to three Big Data technology providers that warrant a closer look.

If you’re working with a technology partner to provide the experience necessary to develop and manage a solution, find out whether it offers a cloud solution (not all do).

Ask cloud providers for a list of implementation partners, as not all of them offer implementation services.

Compare and contrast the costs of cloud versus on-premise solutions, keeping in mind that the economics will change as the solution begins to scale.

Work with the technology providers and partners to validate the use cases, to prove the ROI and to team with internal resources for training and knowledge transfer.