Matt Wood, the head of scientific and technical computing for Amazon Web Services, spoke to IT website TechRepublic about big data, its use and the challenges that businesses face when trying to implement it. In Wood's opinion, rigid technology has been the main obstacle for the widespread adoption of big data solutions in recent times.
"You need an environment that is flexible and allows you to quickly respond to changing big data requirements," he said.
A Gartner survey of businesses from one year ago showed that the main challenge they faced with big data was determining how to get value from it. Wood believes that problem is starting to go away because big data analysis is no longer such a daunting task.
"It was true 18 months ago that people didn't know what they were doing with big data," he told TechRepublic. "Now, however, because customers can start experimenting easily at low cost, the growth in skills has been astronomical over the last two years."
Custom database software like FileMaker can play a major role in expanding data usage and application. A FileMaker developer can tailor the software's characteristics to each client's specific needs, ensuring that the compiled data is relevant and easy to read. For any business, being able to draw reliable conclusions from data is not just helpful but necessary to adjust business strategies accordingly.
Instruction on how to use FileMaker, which is carried out by certified trainers, is also available for business owners who want their employees to be able to expand and work with their own databases. For a small or medium-sized company, to have workers who are qualified to record and track important statistical information can be a significant advantage when it comes to analyzing and interpreting that data.