Big Data and the Internet of Things: A Powerful Combination

The internet of things, or IoT as it’s known in many circles, and big data are two of the most talked about technological advances, but they’re also two of the most misunderstood technological innovations.

The internet of things, or IoT as it’s known in many circles, and big data are two of the most talked about technological advances, but they’re also two of the most misunderstood technological innovations.

So what exactly is the internet of things? There’s so much hype surrounding it, yet many people don’t really know what it is, or what to expect from it. Simply put, the internet of things is when basically everything we do is online. To some degree we’re already seeing the beginning of that, and it’s just going to continue. Our shopping, watching, reading and browsing histories will all be online along with operating systems for our cars, houses, appliances, etc. Everything will be connected to the internet.

What about big data? It’s similar to IoT with regards to the hype surrounding it. Like IoT, it too generates a lot of confusion. Big data is simple and complex at the same time. It’s the huge amounts of data available all around us and the process of gathering, storing and analyzing that data. It too, has enormous promise and potential to change the world, in fact it already is. With it’s increased availability through Hadoop as a service, and other big data platform in the cloud options, It’s changing how businesses think and operate and it’s changing the entire customer experience. It’s reach goes beyond just e-commerce to sectors like healthcare, sports, military, government and art to name just a few.

What happens, then, when you combine these two seemingly up and coming enigmas?

You have an extremely powerful combination. Working together, big data and IoT have the potential to drastically change how things are done. With the two together, customers can look forward to more personalized buying experiences, better products and services, and more accurate and relevant marketing from companies. There are, of course, other benefits that will come to pass by way of the IoT and big data combination. The reason they’re so successful is that IoT thrives from online connectivity and big data thrives from that online information — it needs lots of information,to succeed. If people are online more often and share more information online, then big data has more to gather from, and companies have more to work from.

More Personalized Experience

Companies are already able to gather a lot of information from us based on what we do on social media, what we buy online and what we browse for online, among other things. Currently companies try to use that information to give customers ads that are particularly suited to their likes and dislikes. The problem, however, is that big data is still in its infancy and companies have a long way to go. Some of the ads are extremely relevant, but others really aren’t. With IoT and big data combined, companies can really take the customer experience to the next level. This is especially important in today’s e-commerce society, in which there is a lack of customer loyalty. These two together will be great allies in giving companies important tools for meeting customer demands and expectations.

Better products and experiences

With all the information that can be gleaned and then analyzed with these two systems, not only will companies have the ability to give consumers a more personalized experience, but they can also provide better products and services because they can get so much more feedback through apps and social media.

Better Marketing

This is important for both businesses and customers. There’s no doubt that consumers like to have things that will benefit them and increase their quality of life and standard of living. The problem is that so much that comes from marketing doesn’t interest customers. With IoT and Big data companies will have much more to work with which will allow them to provide consumers with a marketing experience that is much more tailored, unique and relevant. A better experience not only decreases marketing waste on the business end and annoyance on the consumer end, but it also increases business revenue and gives customers more of what they want. It’s a win-win for both sides.

Conclusion

Big data and IoT form a tremendous pair in increasing company effectiveness and consumer satisfaction. Together they are fundamentally changing the way we do things. They’re providing innovative ways for companies to interact with their customer and provide the products and services they want. Together these two can help companies, consumers and the world in many, many different ways.

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