Big data as a term may be a recent creation, but the concept goes as far back as the 1950s, long predating the rise of the modern PC.
In 1955, famed businessman Peter Drucker spoke with a number of IBM executives about their efforts to drive the sales of what were, at the time, nothing more than clunky accounting machines. IBM's brilliant selling point was that these machines allowed users to collect information. The tools contained within the accounting machine allowed organizations to process information and save it for future use.
Drucker ended the discussion with one prophetic line that would serve as the motivation for so many innovations over the last 58 years: "I wish you knew more about what to do with information once you get it, but that is a private wish."
Today, this idea is still being worked out. Businesses are still trying to develop solutions that will allow them to better use data once it is obtained. This is the crux of the big data era.
This week, Forbes ran a feature on this famed story, and suggested that Drucker's vision is finally being carried out. The article lists a number of professionals, some of whom were directly influenced by the words uttered in 1955, who have now dedicated their lives to finding better big data solutions.
The thing is, not every company has the same information management needs or, for that matter, the same definition of big data. While everybody is finding ways to better handle their own data, there are different methods. Some company mission statements may call for different procedures.
That's why FileMaker is an ideal development platform. With this system, businesses can create custom database software programs designed to manage information the way that best fits their organization. These created solutions will cater themselves to the specific operations of a company.
Most people share the same vision of Peter Drucker. By developing a FileMaker-based system, they can fulfill that vision the way they see fit.