'Big data' challenge too big for information managers

IT leaders must look at variety and velocity to meet big data opportunities

IT leaders must change their approach to ‘big data' if they are to avoid expensive investments further down the line, according to analyst firm Gartner.

Gartner's report, Getting Value from Big Data, stated that information managers are too focused on volume and not looking at other factors, such as the variety or velocity of the data.

Mark Beyer, research vice president at Gartner, said: "Information management disciplines and technologies are simply not up to the task of handling these different dimensions currently."

Variety refers to the different types of information now available for analysis, such as that being made available via social media and mobile.

Gartner suggests the variety should include tabular data (databases), hierarchical data, email, metering data, video, still images, audio and financial transactions.

Velocity refers to the speed at which the data is being produced and the turnover time required for useful analysis.

"IT leaders must educate their business counterparts on the challenges, while ensuring some degree of control and co-ordination, so that the big data opportunity doesn't become big data chaos, which may raise compliance risks, increase costs and create silos," said Beyer.