Chapter(12): Computer Industry

In recent years “Big Data” has become something of a buzzword in business, computer science, information studies, information systems, statistics, and many other fields. As technology continues to advance, we continuously generate an ever-increasing amount of data. This growth does not differentiate between individuals and businesses, private or public sectors, institutions of learning, and commercial entities. It is nigh universal and therefore warrants further study. This review aims to provide a brief overview of Big Data and its use in analytics. After reviewing the methodology of research used in creating the review, the investigation of Big Data will begin by attempting to craft a satisfying definition of the term. Many of the relevant technologies and techniques used in advanced analytics will be covered briefly, and the benefits of advanced analytics across various sectors will be explored. The presented review in this chapter will also show several of the challenges and barriers faced by purveyors of Big Data analytic tools and attempt to determine if the analytics results offset the costs of overcoming these challenges sufficiently to make them a wise investment. The review concludes with recommendations for the future at the end of the chapter.