Where to find and access big data

Big data is now massively important to many organizations. The more data -- both structured and unstructured -- that firms can access and analyze, the better their insight and decision making processes can become, and that in turn can lead to better performance, improved efficiencies, and reduced risk.

Kapow Software has created an attractive new infographic that provides an overview of the different avenues and channels that big data is pulled from. These data pools include archives, docs, media, data storage, social media, business apps, the public web, and sensor data.

Each section of the graphic shows the three Vs of velocity (the rate at which data is generated and changed), variety (the number of different data sources and types) and volume (the quantity of data units per category) which are used to characterize the different aspects of big data.

The graphic also explains the terminology used, and breaks down the data sources found in each of the categories. Sensor data, for example, comes from medical devices, smart electric meters, car sensors, traffic cams, satellites, video games, cable boxes, office buildings, fridges, trucks and so on. Social media sources include Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube and blogs.