As Big Data grows within enterprise operations, more and more solutions will be required to manage, store, analyze and act on the valuable information provided therein. 2011 was marked by advancements in speed and storage technologies, and technology companies are already responding to the current and anticipated influx of data with better, faster solutions. Last week, I mentioned that thanks to forward-thinking developers, there are a number of components out there to help enterprises more effectively manage something as large and dynamic as the constant influx of information essential to enterprise operations.

These include:

• Faster data capture and analysis: The speed at which data moves across enterprises and entire industries is faster than ever, and it’s bound to increase. As a result, enterprise software developers have kept up with tools that allow for data capture and analysis that happens as quickly as the data is generated. One example of this is real-world models of events.
• More intelligent, automated decision-making: By creating software and languages designed to handle intricate if/then scenarios, developers are empowering enterprise administrators to customize decision making to fit their exact needs, and to fit the requirement of any possible scenario. Expect to see more improvements in predictive analytics solutions and automated decision-making capabilities this year.
• Platform approaches to doing all of the above: The growing field of Business Analytics & Optimization (BAO) solutions enables enterprise information administrators to not only ensure all of the data essential to operations is captured and instantly analyzed, but that any actions needed per what the analysis reveals are automatically triggered. So nothing is spilled, wasted or lost—and more opportunities are discovered, resources are better allocated and operations improve considerably. The next phase in this field is the platform approach: Business Analytics & Optimization Platforms (BAOPs) has the potential to completely transform business operations for the better.  Starview Enterprise Platform™ introduced in November is the first of its kind, but I suspect we will see more before 2012 is out—it’s a trend that is both necessary and on the rise.

What do you think? What trends do you see shaping how enterprises will handle, manage and use Big Data to their advantage in 2012 and beyond?