How Tech Giant Using Big Data
In 2020, data is everywhere. Compared to the late 80's you'll find that we've gathered tremendous data. One of the reasons for this could be the growth of electronics devices over the time. This exponential data enables us for some the great product and technologies in few decades in terms of User experience, Social connectivity, Artificial Intelligence enabled Robots.
But this is not the complete truth. This huge amount of data brings some great challenges for companies too. The size of data is so BIG that normal traditional methods aren't capable of solving many problems like storing the huge data so that Analytics team can proceed with their job, processing huge data to take value out of it, smooth user experience i.e. user don't have to wait for long to get service as no of customer increases, real time processing to ensure Great experience.
What is Big Data?
Big Data is also data but with a huge size. Big Data is a term used to describe a collection of data that is huge in volume and yet growing exponentially with time. In short such data is so large and complex that none of the traditional data management tools are able to store it or process it efficiently.
How BIG data helps?
Tech giants like Google and Amazon are often the innovative birthplaces of the latest big data innovations, so how exactly are these companies taking the numbers and transforming them into usable data?
Companies like Google, which catalog data for literally millions of searches each day, can analyze the information over the long term to detect useful trends and learn about their users. Google’s algorithms make great use of big data, for instance, when trying to determine what you’re searching for after you’ve only inputted a few characters into your search bar.
Other companies, like Amazon, are more ambitious with how they use big data to get to know their customers. Amazon’s marketplace is teeming with suggested products for their consumers, largely because the firm has harnessed big data to determine which products people in a certain demographic are likely to purchase, and markets those products specifically to them.
Example of Big Company utilizing BigData:
1. Amazon
The online retail giant has access to a massive amount of data on its customers; names, addresses, payments and search histories are all filed away in its data bank.
While this information is obviously put to use in advertising algorithms, Amazon also uses the information to improve customer relations, an area that many big data users overlook.
The next time you contact the Amazon help desk with a query, don't be surprised when the employee on the other end already has most of the pertinent information about you on hand. This allows for a faster, more efficient customer service experience that doesn't include having to spell out your name three times
2. Netflix
The entertainment streaming service has a wealth of data and analytics providing insight into the viewing habits of millions of international consumers.
Netflix uses this data to commission original programming content that appeals globally as well as purchasing the rights to films and series boxsets that they know will perform well with certain audiences.
For example, Adam Sandler has proven unpopular in the US and UK markets in recent years but Netflix green-lighted four new films with the actor in 2015, armed with the knowledge that his previous work had been successful in Latin America
3. Facebook
Apart from Google, Facebook is probably the only company that possesses this high level of detailed customer information. The more users who use Facebook, the more information they amass. Heavily investing in its ability to collect, store, and analyze data, Facebook does not stop there. Apart from analyzing user data, Facebook has other ways of determining user behavior.
- Tracking cookies: Facebook tracks its users across the web by using tracking cookies. If a user is logged into Facebook and simultaneously browses other websites, Facebook can track the sites they are visiting.
- Facial recognition: One of Facebook’s latest investments has been in facial recognition and image processing capabilities. Facebook can track its users across the internet and other Facebook profiles with image data provided through user sharing.
- Tag suggestions: Facebook suggests who to tag in user photos through image processing and facial recognition.
- Analyzing the Likes: A recent study conducted showed that it is viable to predict data accurately on a range of personal attributes that are highly sensitive just by analyzing a user’s Facebook Likes. Work conducted by researchers at Cambridge University and Microsoft Research shows how the patterns of Facebook Likes can very accurately predict your sexual orientation, satisfaction with life, intelligence, emotional stability, religion, alcohol use and drug use, relationship status, age, gender, race, and political views—among many others.