A Near Term Outlook for Big Data

Big data - which is any data that doesn’t fit neatly into a traditional database due to its unstructured format, the high speed at which it comes in, or the sheer volume of it - touches everything from enterprises and hospitals to smart-meter startups and connected devices in the home. Every interaction with a technology device, website, social network contributes tothe fast-growing world of big data, and enterprises, government and other institutions are just beginning to harness the power of this mountain of information.

The following seven pieces, written by a handpicked collection of GigaOM Pro analysts, offer insights on how big data is impacting the way we work, how businesses run, and world at large.