An interesting serendipity. EMC goes long on Big Data at EMC World.
And the McKinsey Global Institute releases a stupendous landmark tome entitled "Big Data: The Next Frontier For Innovation, Competition and Productivity". For free - no reg required.
This document is making the round at warp speed in my circles. At least ten people have sent me a copy, usually raving about it. I read it at length (warning: it's long), and I have now also turned into an ardent fan.
If you care anything at all about Big Data (or might be just a bit curious), or -- as a leader, you care about "innovation, competition and productivity" -- make the time to go read this paper in its entirety. Not the short summary, the full-boat longer version.
It uniquely captures the breadth and depth of the opportunity in front of us collectively. It does a yeoman's job of quantifying the economic benefits in five interesting use cases. It offers pragmatic advice for both the organizational leader as well as policy makers everywhere. And it has a useful and easy-to-understand glossary of big data terms and concepts.
If I could make it required reading to pass the course, I would.
Please, go make a few hours in your busy life and go read this PDF (it's at the bottom of the page).
(disclosure -- a lot of people on Twiiter wondered if EMC had someone sponsored this work. Fair question. The timing, the talk-track -- I mean, it's almost eerie. But, alas, that's not the case to the best of my knowledge.)
It's that good.
My personal congratulations to the McKinsey team for a landmark intellectual contribution on the topic. For the ability to express compelling technology in business terms that anyone should be able to understand.
And, especially, for the wisdom to make it freely available to all.
More could learn from your stellar example :)
