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January 15, 2014

Big Data: Buzz to business at last?

IBM’s Watson could make Big Data make sense.

By Cbr Rolling Blog

The ‘Big Data’ buzzword has been circulating for what seems like an eternity. But many are still postulating: when will the hype materialise?

Currently information on the internet is being banded together in the hope that something will happen.

Or as Forbes’ Jonathan Salem Baskin put it: "It would be great if a million people randomly put in a choir could sing in total, pitch-perfect harmony at a moment’s notice. But that doesn’t happen."

IBM’s cognitive system Watson could finally be the computer that makes this happen.

IBM has created a stand-alone group to develop big data solutions, funded with $1bn and staffed with 2,000 employees, showing real dedication to the cause, and hopefully driving big data forward.

If Big Data can go beyond simply indexing the internet, as Google does, and embrace apps or consumer UI like Siri, Watson could really be onto something.

But the marketing team also needs to play its part in explaining that potential to business customers who may still not fully grasp technical terms such as data mining and machine learning. IBM then can then use Watson to prove its worth.

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Baskin explained: "Watson could take its demonstrated prowess at winning Jeopardy! And make some wildly novel or meaningful insight into newsworthy, topical issues, thereby demonstrating both the promise and peril of big data reality, not its buzz."

Thanks to IBM, Baskin, and others, have been given hope that the choir might learn how to sing together after all.

 

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