Do you have any great ideas about how to manage BIG data?

NASA, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy need your brilliant ideas

Some of the greatest ideas and concepts were not necessarily born in a laboratory or research facility; often times, they drop in from out of nowhere straight from the mind of the general public. Well, now’s your chance to show the world how brilliant you really are and perhaps become recognized in the process. NASA, the NSF, and the DoE are setting up contests with the aim of developing better solutions for some of the most well-known BIG data problems. That’s right, people, you’re full of vital information and don’t even know it.

In the same way that crowdsourcing allows certain types of companies to get funding, ideas and support equal to the kind that larger institutions routinely receive, it can also be used to create “idea wells”. You know the old saying, “2 heads are better than 1”, right? Well, what about 100,000, or perhaps 1 million? Those that are interested in participating in these upcoming contests should visit TopCoder.com to get started or for additional information.

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What’s the contest (the first one at this particular time {Oct. 2012}) specifically trying to achieve? Believe it or not, the first contest question deals with the issue that cuts to the very heart of the BIG data conundrum, which is: how can we extract useful information from large sets of unstructured data? More specifically, how can we make all data in a large grouping of unstructured sets more homogenous so that it can be organized and analyzed?

Once again, the goal is to be able to ultimately extract unique and useful information from BIG data in a way that is (hopefully) fast and precise. NASA and the other agencies hope to use this contest to develop new technologies which might allow them and their accomplices to address some of the growing problems humanity is facing (namely, the proliferation of massive amounts of data). Each additional contest will not specifically cover BIG data issues, but will veer off into other areas like the natural sciences, energy and even health care. Those who offer up great ideas for BIG data management will be making not only a significant contribution to this contest, but the future and ongoing development of technology and industry/business. To put it another way, if you win this contest, you’re going to be making the world a better place.

For those with the concepts and drive to solve pressing problems, this contest and the ones soon to follow represent a great opportunity. As some others have noted, the prize amount is somewhat paltry in comparison with the usefulness of the idea(s) which are to be presented, but the real payoff is going to come through recognition. It’s not every day that a person gets to act as an official consultant to the Department of Energy, the NSF or NASA after all. For those who are already entrenched in a technical career, perhaps in IT, winning this contest will undoubtedly “open some very big doors”.

On a side note, it’s somewhat interesting how modern movements like crowdsourcing (also called ‘idea sourcing”) are very similar to cloud computing in terms of structure. For example, if one were to compare each individual person to a “machine” (virtual, server, or self-contained) it’s easy to see how beneficial it is to draw upon the collective power of the “hive”, so to speak. In other words, as cloud computing is able to requisition large amounts of processing power, so too can science foundations draw upon the power of large groups of human beings, each having their own unique take on the problem at hand. Perhaps it’s only fitting that BIG data is finding a close technological ally in cloud computing?

Hadoop is being deployed through IaaS; is your IT dept. certified?  

BIG data might offer BIG benefits to some businesses

Here’s a recent statistic to contemplate; around 75%-80% of all data accumulated by businesses is currently “unstructured”. What does this mean? Basically, it means that most businesses are sitting on a treasure trove of data which they are not able to put into good use. When it comes to BIG data management, we’re not talking about something that’s optional for most of the world’s institutions (this is important to keep in mind). Through BIG data management, it is possible not only to bring order to unstructured data, but also to derive value from the resulting configuration and any conclusions which can be drawn from deeper analysis.

In reality, it doesn’t matter whether or not an organization wants to deal with BIG data or not, they’re going to have to at some point. This is due to the fact that we live in the age of the internet, where there is simply no end to the amount of data that is collected and the overall amount that’s being transmitted on a daily basis just seems to keep growing at an exponential rate. But the goal shouldn’t be to simply keep pace with data expansion though, for many businesses there are valuable morsels of information which can be extracted from BIG data.

Aside from things like trending statistics and purchase habits per demographic, BIG data can highlight what customers and employees alike are really thinking about / working on. This might not seem like a big deal, but imagine being able to give customers exactly what they want (perhaps more) and being able to capitalize on all the abilities and talents of one’s employees. Likewise, there’s no better way to see what’s actually being done (from a solid business standpoint) apart from actually letting the data speak for itself.

There’s also the issue of speed; specifically, businesses being able to gain near real-time insights into what’s happening on multiple levels inside and outside of their organization at any given time. Certain technologies have emerged over the last few years which allow us to use, for example, the power of the cloud / elastic computing, to organize very large sets of data. Not only does this allow for more up-to-date integration of strategy, it also puts forth its own distinct value (in terms of consolidated knowledge).

By the same measure, this is helping to create a new area of competition among businesses of all shapes and sizes. For instance, many companies are moving toward initiating very “Google-like” policies. How so, you ask?  Once you realize that Google is essentially an online entity (not an organization that is prone to selling physical products) it becomes obvious that it a great example of how distinct value can be derived from BIG data management strategies. After all, the initial (and continuing) value of Google is really built from the value of its search algorithms and organization technologies (without these, Google wouldn’t be nearly as valuable). So, if you need proof of the value in BIG data management, look no further than Google, one of the most profitable and powerful companies the world has ever known!

For your average business or corporation, creating search algorithms might be a little bit out of character; however, there are still some ways that they can use BIG data to their advantage. One of the most immediate and sensible uses for the technology is strategy assistance. Let’s say that a company is using BIG data analysis to make better decisions about how to manage their actual manufacturing and production. By monitoring and breaking down customer records and near real-time data, businesses can make changes in capacity and production which might allow them to:

• Get products / services to the right customers more quickly

• Eliminate loss from over production

• Avert risks

• Bring products to market at the most sensible times

• Etc…

Actually implementing a BIG data management strategy however might necessitate the use of adjunct technologies like Cloud Computing. Many experts are banking heavily on cloud computing for three principal reasons:

• The cloud adoption rate for businesses is nearing the 50% mark

• Cloud Computing is powerful enough to process BIG data management tasks in a timely manner

• Arguably, using a cloud service to aid in BIG data management is one of the most affordable methods that can be implemented

The bottom line is, if you manage or own a business and have significant IT / online resources in place that collect data, you need to be thinking about a BIG data management strategy. If direct gains are not a concern, then adopting the technology in order to stave off competition is also a good reason. However, as previously stated, the data itself is going to continue pouring in from all directions anyway, why not use it to your advantage (let it service you instead of the other way around)?

Apparently there’s BIG money in BIG data research

We already know that many businesses are either investing in BIG data management strategies or actively working on developing new methods for doing so, but did you know that some organizations are also handing out grant money? That’s right, the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have recently awarded around $15 million in grants to several research teams who are working with BIG data. Of course all the teams receiving awards were university based research groups, but that could change as well. The point is, there’s big money at stake from institutions that need solutions in BIG data, and virtually any research groups that are able to help make forward progress might be eligible to receive significant compensation for their efforts.

Outside of grant money being thrown down by foundations, many larger businesses (across all fields) are really the big spenders when it comes to BIG data research. Collectively, they are contributing massive sums to their respective programs; some might say that this will have no effect in the long run, but that’s really a short-sided take on things. One of the most often overlooked realities is the impact any sector experiences from individually mandated research. For example, if several major companies are investing significant amounts of capital in BIG data studies, chances are, we will see new technologies hitting the markets in a period of years or months.

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Naturally, the tendency is to think “but these businesses aren’t collaborating, aren’t we losing valuable insights because of that?” While it’s true that larger scale collaborative projects tend to yield somewhat more accessible solutions, they don’t really promote any type of competitive growth. In other words, while they are achieving results, perhaps many individual concepts are “falling by the wayside” that might otherwise be useful.

Think of it as “idea bottlenecking”; instead of companies competing through research to develop a better approach to BIG data management, they use only the most immediately accessible ideas in tandem with those from other groups. What’s the problem with that, you ask? Well, often times, you can’t devise definitive solutions without being able to access multiple ways of approaching a problem. Does this imply that collaboration isn’t the way to go when it comes to researching BIG data? Absolutely not; it’s imperative that organizations band together to create better BIG data management solutions, but not if it comes at the cost of diversity.

Given that there’s been quite a push to fund these types of research initiatives, it’s really a good idea for businesses with extended tech or IT capabilities to apply themselves in this regard. Having said that; only about 1/3 of all companies are actively devoting any portion of their annual budgets to BIG data (even though most all organizations agree that it’s vitally important). Basically, the potential exists to turn BIG data into a major industry unto itself. Perhaps the only thing that’s stopping this from occurring is the lack of a few breakthroughs in the technology itself.

This is why all businesses who stand poised to benefit from a shift in BIG data technology need to plan on finding new ways to leverage the technology ahead of any major shifts. For instance, IT professionals who have certifications in BIG data are likely to find themselves in high demand once we have some definitive approaches to BIG data available to us all. Speaking of which, if you’re employed in the IT sector and haven’t been certified in cloud computing, IaaS or BIG data, now’s the perfect time to do so!

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Regardless of how large or widespread the use BIG data management will become after this “research revolution” dissipates, you can bet that all the major organizations are going to deploy the technology. There are simply too many potential applications for the use of BIG data management (deep customer analytics, trend spotting, leveraging the packaging and sale of the tech to clients, etc…). If fact, it’s probably safe to assume that at this point, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what we can do with BIG data. Moreover, if history can teach us anything, it’s that every time a new form of groundbreaking technology is delivered, entire industries tend to spring up around it. In other words, the rise of BIG data will likely herald the formation of several new sectors which are driven by profits. To make a long story short, it’s a good time to be in BIG data.

A look at what BIG data will gain by integrating with the Cloud

Down throughout history, certain types of useful technologies tend to emerge in groups or pairs. It is often their shared goals or purposes which ultimately create the definitive versions of the products and services we take for granted every single day. For example, what good are commercial appliances or home lighting without the power grid? Also, wasn’t it essentially a group effort that led to the creation of every major computing device? A similar type of (symbiotic) relationship might exist between BIG data and cloud computing. In other words, the cloud might very well offer the only approach to BIG data that actually works as intended (this is of course, an assumption however, new concepts are emerging on a daily basis now).

Why would a merge with Cloud Computing create a mutually beneficial situation for BIG data practitioners?

• A Cloud is essentially already a BIG data pool.

• Analytical services and components can be deployed quickly and run in a more efficient manner via Cloud Computing.

• The Cloud offers potentially cheaper approaches when it comes to applying personnel and resources to BIG data management.

It makes very little sense to move big pools of data all the time (like what you will find in your typical social networking cloud), especially if it’s already somewhat manageable and in a secure position. If BIG data pools were to be built from the ground up utilizing advanced cloud computing tools, it is very likely that more efficient systems for creating order could also be established over the long term.

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One of the major selling points of Cloud Computing is its ability to elastically requisition computing resources on demand. So, if you need 2x, 4x, or even 10x the processing power, you might be able to quickly access it via your cloud vendor’s service / program. When you factor in that any analysis of BIG data is heavily dependent on resources, it only makes sense that one of the most powerful tools (cloud computing) might be considered for the job.

Likewise, there are specific tools and apps which exist on various types of clouds which are nearly perfect for helping to break down patterns, creating search algorithms and pretty much anything else you can think/ dream up. The point is, cloud computing is one of the most versatile technologies ever invented, and it only makes sense to apply it to a large scale challenge like BIG data.

Finally, there’s the economic side of managing BIG data. As you would expect, BIG data management can be a costly endeavor unless you can implement an efficient system that allows you to extract valuable information with the right personnel and tools on hand. Instead of attempting to compile and / or individually purchase all the necessary components for running a BIG data management operation, perhaps it would be better to let some of these responsibilities fall to the cloud. For instance, recently there have been many great IaaS-derived software solutions which allow for deeper, faster and more targeted “trawling” of BIG data (Hadoop being one of the primary examples of this).

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Cloud Computing is essentially a BIG data solution both externally and internally. In other words, cloud strategies could be used to bring additional organization to BIG data while at the same time being able to run applications for analyzing and managing it. In some ways, it seems that BIG data and Cloud Computing are sort of “meant for each other”, or at the very least, “capable of carrying on a mutually beneficial relationship”.

In terms of power and importance, it’s currently unclear whether big businesses will come to see cloud computing as a means of wrangling BIG data, or vice-versa (BIG data as another facet of cloud computing); perhaps it will end up being a bit of both camps? Regardless, it cannot be argued that Cloud Computing has all the necessary tools needed to take advantage of BIG data has to offer.

What is the OpenStack Foundation? Open source Cloud Computing

OpenStack’s push for an increased focus on open-source cloud computing

When you think about influence in the software development world it’s hard to imagine anything more powerful than a popular open-source project. In the same way that crowdsourcing and crowdfunding have allowed large projects to get off the ground, open-source software development provides the catalyst for bringing hundreds, if not thousands of individual contributors to a venture. Why is this important, you might ask? Surely you’ve heard the old saying that “two heads are better than one”; well, 200 heads are better than 10.  Open source Cloud Computing

The OpenStack Foundation is big-time cloud provider OpenStack’s ongoing attempt at creating what might be considered better cloud computing components. The foundation itself features an elected / appointed board of directors, a tech committee as well as an enormous user committee (consisting of around 5600 individual members).

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Each individual software project is led by elected tech leads. Their purpose is to provide oversight into all individual aspects of each software development project, of course. Just as important (if not more so) is the board of directions, who essentially deal with ensuring that everything is running smoothly and that there are financial resources available when needed. Lastly, you have the “engine” for the Open-source project, which is the user committee. As previously stated, this group consists of around 5600 individuals culled from 850 organizations, each having their own unique areas of expertise. Likewise, individual contributions are just as welcome as those emanating from well-known businesses; the only thing that truly matters is that some form of forward progress is achieved.

Then of course you have the financial benefit of open source development. Because larger open-source projects are really just collaborative efforts put together by organizations or individuals associated with certain businesses, we’re really talking about something that’s being carried out for the benefit of all. In other words, businesses can use the power of the community to even help design software / cloud components which might greatly benefit their own operations. The caveat of course being that they have to share the finished product with everyone else, which some people might find unpleasant. In fact, some open-source projects are actually able to help drive certain markets up because they reinforce both collaboration and competition in some strange way.  

From a philosophical point-of-view, open-source development of cloud computing software is perfectly suited to the very nature of cloud computing itself, if you think about it. After all, any form of cloud computing (whether it is a bulk of centralized resources or multiple machines being leveraged together simultaneously) is based off of the notion of shared resources. Additionally, each time a new groundbreaking cloud app or service is created, it is imperative that the technology driving it is disseminated among the community as well; if only to increase the speed with which all future developments might occur. For example, if some company develops a better approach to cloud security, isn’t it in their best interests to share this basic concept and design with others? I doing so they are opening the door for other organizations to improve upon it and perhaps even shut down malevolent forces before they even gain a chance to engage in hostile activities.

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Simply put, the amount of money, time and effort required to create software through independent development that’s comparable with a large open-source operation (like the Openstack Foundation) might be considered out-of-reach by most companies. It’s an interesting trade-off when you think about it – shared development for a shared finished product. Certainly this model is vastly superior to all others in a number of key ways, especially for those organizations that are interested in cloud software development for direct business use.

The Openstack Foundation is also helping to bring the international community together as well. Currently, there are businesses and individuals from 87 countries participating in the project; certainly if can be called a stunning success from a cooperative point-of-view. Perhaps it’s only fitting that NASA was one of the groups that initiated this project, given its universal nature. Regardless of who was responsible for starting the Openstack Foundation, now it has some of the biggest financial and technical backers on the planet (including Intel, AMD, HP, IBM, and Cisco). The list of those who are helping to make this a successful project reads like a veritable “who’s who” of tech companies, don’t you think? In the end, the net result of all this group participation is going to be an ongoing list of incredible achievements which could not have occurred without input from multiple firms and minds. In some ways, the Openstack Foundation is a testament to the indomitable nature of mankind and the incredible things which can be achieved through collaboration and cooperation.