Fear of failure fuels ‘big data’ u-turn

The data industry may be pouring scorn on the rise of big data but technology directors at some of the UK’s biggest firms are grasping the nettle now, amid fears they will be stung badly in the future by rivals getting in early.
According to a survey by Computing magazine, many firms have changed their mind over big data, dismissing initial concerns that it was simply “vendor hype”.
Back in May 2012, a survey of 155 IT decision-makers in medium to large organisations across all sectors reported that 61% of those surveyed showed no interest in big data, while 35% viewed it as a problem, not an opportunity. Ten months on, the mood has changed dramatically, with fewer than a quarter now saying there is no interest in big data in their organisation.
Those engaged in preliminary discussions about using a big data approach have increased from 24% of organisations in 2012 to 36%, while those involved in planning and appraisal has risen from 8% to 19% this time round.
There are also a small number of big data leaders pulling away from the pack: 10% of respondents to the latest survey is engaged in a large-scale rollout, up from 2% per cent last year. These are the companies that have proved the value of a big data approach in a pilot, are pressing ahead and – if successful – could gain an early lead over their competitors, according to the study.
One company which appears to be sticking to its guns is John Lewis. Earlier this month, head of IT architecture Julian Burnett slammed the rise of “big data” as simply “big hype”, although he did concede that the retailer needed to “get its head around how we bring together large amounts of structured and unstructured data in a quick and effective manner”.
Late last year, DunnHumby co-founder and Clubcard guru Clive Humby said firms must start from the viewpoint of how data will benefit the customer; not how it will benefit the business.

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