Preface: Big Data and Analytics

Abstract

In the last 20 years, the amount of data in existence has risen 100‐fold. However, this data surge is not unique in history – one similarly rapid increase has occurred before, between the years 1450 and 1500. The volume of data in the world doubled during this period thanks to the advent of Gutenberg’s printing press, which meant a revolution in society at the time. Today, the worldwide data volume is doubling every 18 months. However, what is often not considered in this context is this: while in the year 2000 almost three‐quarters of all data were still in analog form, for example on paper, less than 15 years later this figure is less than 1%. A previously analog world has gone digital, which changes everything.

Although data is becoming ever more important in our lives, it has not yet been possible to establish a widespread understanding of the change our society is undergoing. If you cannot yet imagine the actual meaning behind terms such as “big data” or the “Internet of Things,” you are not alone.

What accounts for the new quality of big data? There is no single, universally accepted definition of big data. But there is an approach cited most often in journalism and science when we talk about the topic, and which will certainly help you get to grips with it.

Extract from the published book “Update – Why the data revolution affects us all” (Rolf Schumann, Prof. Dr. Michael Steinbrecher, 2015, Campus Verlag. ISBN 978-3-593-50332-5).