Enterprise Data Trends to Watch for in 2014

Technology and data can make or break a business. With the right management, enterprise data is a valuable tool and resource. Since different departments and employees are able to access it instantaneously, in-the-moment analyses of problems or new projects is easier, as is providing better and more specific customer service. Here are some enterprise data trend predictions for 2014.

Technology and data can make or break a business. With the right management, enterprise data is a valuable tool and resource. Since different departments and employees are able to access it instantaneously, in-the-moment analyses of problems or new projects is easier, as is providing better and more specific customer service. Here are some enterprise data trend predictions for 2014.

Decentralization of IT

As technology becomes more integrated into day-to-day business operations, IT departments are going to start decentralizing. Instead of being a single department, IT services will come from a myriad of sources and will work closely with the needs of specific departments. Outside vendors that manage big data and provide the cloud will have their own IT services specific to their products.

Better Management of Big Data

Businesses face multiple problems when it comes to big data. Big data is expensive to store, and since so much of it is unstructured data, businesses often leave terabytes of information unsorted and unused because it’s so unwieldy and difficult to analyze. Semantic technology is able to analyze keywords and concepts within unstructured data and is one trend businesses will see more of, but it’s only one solution to the larger problem. Businesses will have to look to outside sources to house and help analyze their big data if they want the best ROI.

Effective Use of Unstructured Data

The volume of unstructured data will only increase as data becomes more sharable via the cloud and employee personal devices. Big data and unstructured data are going to force businesses to approach data differently from how they’ve done in the past. With so much unstructured data, technology is necessary to analyze and find patterns in it without human assistance, which means adapting to information and results analysts may not specifically have been looking for. Instead of trying to use unstructured data to answer specific questions, it will yield new information and unforeseen patterns, which may well be a strong advantage.

Increased Application of the Cloud Services Broker Model

The cloud services broker model is becoming more popular. Businesses have specific needs when it comes to cloud computing, especially regarding which apps they want to use, how those apps work together, and how secure their data is. With so many options for businesses to choose from and vendors vying for sales, cloud brokers can act as neutral third-parties to help businesses get the service that will best enhance their needs.

More Hybrid Clouds

Instead of using a private or public cloud, businesses are increasingly doing both. Public clouds provided by vendors have flexibility and space that private clouds don’t, but businesses don’t want to get stuck with one vendor. Further, given BYOD practices and the multiple devices each employee may be operating, personal clouds are also growing in number. Hybrid clouds require easy and secure transfer of data from one cloud to the other, which means the devices employees use need to be compatible with quick cloud computing. Dual-mode devices like the Lenovo tablet laptop segue well from home to office and give employees the necessary easy access to the cloud. This type of flexibility gives employees a consistent user experience across broadband, mobile and DSL services.

Adaptation to Data Security Threats

Businesses have more data than ever to protect, at the same time that ease of access to data is more necessary than ever. Businesses need secure big data, secure cloud computing, plus the ability to decide which employees have access to what data and when. But since the way data is stored, analyzed, and shared is always changing, data security needs are always changing as well. That means businesses have to be adaptable and have to be aware of the constant changes in their data security. With so many employees creating and sharing data, proper training is just as important as using good security technology. Making sure that your employees have been properly background checked is important as some might pose a threat from the inside of your company. Data threats like medical records hacking can lead to medical malpractice lawsuits as switching up records can lead to injury or death of a person.

From security to cloud computing to big data, watch out for these trends in 2014. Businesses will be adapting and changing the way they manage and use their data as the mass of information grows and data analysis becomes more specific. From the C-suite to each individual customer, these trends will alter the way enterprises do business.

(enterprise data trends / shutterstock)