Introduction
Big Data is reshaping the way in which businesses are run and strategies are planned. Businesses are relying on data to find solutions to challenges and identify ways of improvement. Plus, huge investments have been made by various companies in Big Data in the last few years. Given the sharp rise in demand for certified data analysts, Big Data is a lucrative field to upskill yourself.
What Is Big Data?
Big Data refers to huge volumes of structured and unstructured data, which can be analysed to derive meaningful insights. These insights derived using big data technology can help businesses in an effective decision-making process. Almost every sector ranging from government, banking, healthcare, education, retail and manufacturing use Big Data analytics to collate and analyse information.
The world is becoming increasingly connected, and people are spending a lot of their time online. Both these factors are contributing to the generation of massive amounts of data that can offer plenty of insights on consumer behaviour and market trends, which, in turn, can help in developing sound business strategies.
Types Of Big Data
Big Data is classified into three forms:
- Structured
- Unstructured
- Semi-structured
Structured:
The data which can be stored, accessed and processed in a fixed format is called structured data. An ‘Employee’ table in the database is an example of Structured Data.
Unstructured:
The data with unknown form or structure is known as unstructured data. In addition to a huge size, unstructured data has many challenges in terms of its processing. A typical example of this kind of data is the heterogeneous data source comprising of a combination of text files, images, videos, etc.
Semi-structured:
Semi-structured data contains both forms of data. The semi-structured data can be presented in a structured form, but it is not defined, e.g. table definition in the relational DBMS.
Big Data Characteristics
There are five characteristics of Big Data which are listed below:
Volume: Volume denotes the amount of data which is increasing day by day at a very fast pace. The volume of data generated by humans, machines and their interactions on social media is massive.
Velocity: It is the pace at which different sources create data every day. This flow is continuous and massive. If you can handle the velocity, you will be able to generate valuable insights and make vital decisions based on real-time data.
Variety: As there are innumerable sources which are contributing to Big Data, the type of data which they are generating is different. They can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured. So, there is a wide variety of data which are being generated every day.
Veracity: This refers to the uncertainty of data due to data incompleteness or inconsistency. With many forms of data, quality and preciseness are difficult to control. E.g. Twitter posts with hashtags, abbreviations, typos, etc.
Value: It is good to have access to Big Data, but it will be useless if you are unable to turn in to value. The data should be able to add to the profitability of the organisations.
What Is The Importance Of Big Data?
The importance of big data is not just limited to how much data you have, but what you actually do with it. You can get data from any source and analyse it to find different answers which can help in cost reduction, new product development, time reduction and smart decision making.
By using Big Data with high-powered analytics, you can complete many business-related tasks such as:
- Finding the root causes of failures and defects in real-time
- Generating coupons during sale based on the client’s buying habits
- Recalculating the complete risk portfolios in a few minutes
- Detecting any kind of fraudulent behaviour before it affects the business
How To Learn Big Data?
Big Data can be learnt in two ways.
- Self-learning
- Learn from experts
1. Self-Learning:
Many different resources have been listed here which are available for you to self-learn Big Data:
Big Data Blogs
Big Data has proved to be a great help for marketers who are targeting customers with more preciseness and detail than anyone had ever thought a few years ago. You can learn about Big Data through the below-listed blogs:
1. Fast forward labs
2. Blog on Big Data and Analytics
3. Datameer
4. Think Big Analytics
5. Smart Data Collective
Big Data Books
Whether you are a novice or an expert business professional, books on Big Data that can help you get a better understanding of this essential field. Some of the top Big Data books are:
1. Data Analytics made accessible by A. Maheshwari
2. Predictive Analytics by E. Siegel
3. Too Big to ignore by P. Simon
4. Lean Analytics by A. Croll and B. Yoskovitz
Big Data Videos and Tutorials
Videos and tutorials can be a great way to learn the basic concepts of Big Data. The Internet has many paid as well as free videos and tutorials made by experts who can help you in learning different topics in Big Data before enrolling in a certification course.
Big Data Slideshows & Infographics
If you are good at grasping visual information, then Big Data slideshows and infographics will be perfect for you to learn about Big Data.
2. Learn Big Data from Experts:
Self-study may sound great but may not be very effective. However, if you want to build a successful career in Big Data, then you must enrol yourself in Big Data course at an acclaimed institute and take professional guidance.
Choosing The Best Big Data Institute
Various kinds of self-study materials like books, blogs, videos, slides and tutorials may be helpful in building a strong base on which you can develop a career in Big Data. But to enter into the field of Big Data, you must join an institute which offers necessary training along with job placement support.
With so many Institutes offering Big Data courses, choosing the best one can be difficult. The essential factors that you can consider while selecting the best Big Data Institute are:
The institute should be reputed and recognised among the industry leaders
The certification offered by the institute must be recognised globally
The curriculum should include the latest advances and trends in Big Data and must be updated on a regular basis
The learners should be offered access to Big Data tools which will help them to understand the practical application of the concepts
What Are The Benefits Of Studying Big Data Online At Manipal ProLearn?
Hope you are convinced as to why to learn Big Data! It will greatly enhance your skills and make you competitive in the job market. You can learn Big Data online, which is a convenient option as you can take up the course irrespective of where you reside. It is economical too and lets you take up the course at your own pace and suitable time.
If you are trying to figure out how to learn Big Data, then Manipal ProLearn is the best choice. Manipal ProLearn’s courses are designed and led by industry experts and analytics practitioners with over a decade of experience. Our course also lets you work on tools, including a virtual machine with Hadoop and offer practical knowledge to learn Big data. Our Big Data certification program is offered in association with industry leader, EQUIFAX and covers concepts and tools like Hadoop, Map Reduce, Pig, Hive, HBase, Spark & Storm, Squoop and Flume.
Professionals with Big Data skills can become vital assets to any organisation. Big Data course at Manipal ProLearn will not only help you in boosting the profitability of a business but also take your career to the next level.