The implementation of big data has proven to increase a company’s ROI by as much as ten to 20 percent depending on the metrics used. Productivity can also increase by five percent and lead to six percent higher profits than other competitors. Enterprises not using big data in their operations are missing out on the benefits that come from increased data gathering and analytics.
Why marketing teams have not become data-driven
The way businesses operate has certainly changed with the rise of new technology flooding the workplace. Perhaps one of the most significant developments in the past few years has been the increased use of personal devices in the office. As smartphones and tablets have become more affordable and their capabilities have multiplied, more workers are bringing their own devices to help them with their jobs. According to one recent survey from Webroot, employees at more than 60% of companies use their own devices at work.
This week, the Board of Directors for the Content Management Professionals announced the ending of CM Pros. The decision to close down the organization was evidently made by the Board in Summer 2014.
A couple years ago I joined CM Pros, paid for membership, never got billed, and never heard back from the organization. Knowing that some good people were involved in the organization told me that they were facing an uphill battle. The battle for an organization to have identity and play a role in the industry they wish to advocate.
Acquia has announced the appointment of Christopher Stone as senior vice president of products and development. Stone has more than 30 years of experience in software development and pioneering open source solutions for the enterprise. Stone will be responsible for engineering, DevOps, and product management of the Acquia Platform, helping lead the expansion of the company’s suite of SaaS solutions for building and managing integrated digital experiences.
Last week, Sitecore announced Sitecore 8, the next version of its Sitecore Experience Platform. Over the past few years, Sitecore and almost every other CMS provider has focused on providing marketers and other users with as many analytic tools as possible. In their campaign for this new version, Sitecore has stated a belief that when it comes to raw numbers, enough is enough. It's time to return the focus back onto the art of marketing.
It may come as a bit of a shock, but many people simply don’t have security on their minds. With all the stories concerning major security breaches of large corporations like Target and Home Depot, businesses are definitely paying attention, but many private individuals don’t look at data security as a top priority. Even some smaller companies, while focusing on security for sensitive information, may unwittingly engage in practices putting that data at risk. One particular point of emphasis is the WiFi network.
In today’s digital world big data almost sounds like an over prescribed medication. A company has revenue struggles? Use big data. Another needs more marketing ROI? Big data. But really, we have only scratched the surface of utilizing big data to its full, practical potential. Big data is a metaphorical iceberg, with the portion above water being structured data and the massive portion below the surface being unstructured data. The challenge for companies today is tackling unstructured data to unlock the full potential of big data computing and analytics.
Earlier this week, I questioned whether social media could replace my need to blog. In my article, I mentioned that Google+ and LinkedIn as social network platforms are able to provide near blog-like functions. Since that article posted, I've already heard comments from my Facebook and Twitter friends that no one uses Google+. I respectfully disagree with my friends. While people like to call Google+ a ghost town the numbers would indicate otherwise.
When people think of big data, they naturally assume that it’s just about gathering large amounts of information to provide more accurate searches online and help companies provide more targeted advertisements and marketing efforts. They’re both right and wrong. True, there is so much more to big data than just marketing and advertising. It’s effects are now being seen in numerous industries across the globe. It’s solving world problems and improving the quality of life for millions of individuals.