Most of us have access to more data than we could ever use in a lifetime – think about all the statistics, random datasets and social media posts that are at our fingertips. There are literally billions of gigabytes of data that today, anybody can access with the click of a button.
Making sense of all that information is hard enough for any one individual, let alone an entire organization. And specifically for government agencies, this explosion in data growth is fueling greater demands for solutions that can help them analyze data and ultimately make better decisions. But achieving that goal is no small task.
Consider that unstructured data, which includes Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files, video and audio imagery, social media and more, is expected to take up 79 percent of storage capacity by 2017. Structured data (such as a relational database or spreadsheets), is projected to consume more than 20 percent of organizations’ storage capacity.
Unsurprisingly, these growth patterns are posing new challenges for agencies. Some agencies are struggling to analyze the influx of new and varying datasets, and others lack the necessary capabilities to do so. Even groups with the proper tools are overwhelmed because IT departments can’t keep pace with the current demands for data analysis.
Complicating matters further, the scale and growth of big data challenges often leads agencies to seek custom-built solutions, but not everyone is capable of pursuing this option.
“Many solutions are large and customized, and most organizations are overwhelmed by the rich diversity of approaches in technologies and solutions in this space,” said Clint Green, Director of Advanced Analytic Strategy and Development at ViON. “It can be difficult to find an easy place to start and to find success in big data and analytics.”
Organizations know they should be using big data analytics, but many don’t know how to go about this process. That’s why GovLoop partnered with ViON to produce this report and help agencies establish building blocks for a solid big data analytics program to demystify the benefits and challenges, particularly when it comes to using predictive analytics. The real benefit for agencies is the power to prepare and plan for future needs and events, based on historical data.
Check out Rob Davies of ViON’s interview on Government Matters and GovLoop’s Tech Insights.
