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Big data is producing big returns; according to global survey, 73% of companies have leveraged data to increase revenue

Growing skills shortage and a trio of trends - employee mobility, cloud computing, social networking - creates big data management and analysis challenges.


Johannesburg, 07 Jun 2012

Avanade, a business technology solutions and managed services provider, has announced the results of a global survey of more than 550 business executives and IT leaders, which reveals that the investments companies are making to manage big data are paying off.

Eighty-four percent of respondents report big data helps them make better business decisions. And 73% of companies have already used data to increase revenue by growing existing revenue streams (57%) or creating entirely new sources of revenue (43%).

“Big data has become everyone's business and it has gained a top spot on the agenda of business leaders for the real value it has begun to create,” said Manoj Bhoola, Avanade South Africa Country Manager. “Today, the technologies used to leverage big data for business purposes have reached a tipping point - widespread companies and employees are able to find financial and competitive benefits from their data.”

Beyond tangible business value, evidence shows big data has become pervasive - more employees have more access to more technology options to manage and analyse data. The majority of companies surveyed (57%) said in just the last 12 months, more technology options became available to analyse and manage data. Further, the survey found companies are investing in that technology. Almost every company surveyed (91%) is using tools to manage and analyse data today.

Big data moves beyond the walls of IT

Today, 95% of businesses do not consider data analysts a part of their IT staff. Instead, companies are now distributing that expertise to line-of-business groups throughout the company. The majority of respondents (58%) report data management is now embedded throughout their businesses.

Further, over half of global companies (59%) say more employees than ever before are involved in making decisions as a result of more widely available company data.

Challenges remain

Despite these developments, 85% of respondents still report obstacles in managing and analysing data and 63% feel their companies need to develop new skills to turn data into business insights.

Further, the shifts in how employees work - from the consumerisation of IT and the growing use of consumer devices such as smartphones and tablets in the workplace, to the flood of data created and shared on social networks - is only making the rapid growth of data more challenging to manage. The majority of respondents reported that employee mobility (73%), cloud computing (65%) and social networking (61%) are all causing their companies to rethink their data management strategies.

“The challenges of big data remain, but the opportunities are even greater. Business leaders are really moving from defence to offence in their data-management strategies. Forward-looking companies are empowering more people across the enterprise with the tools and skills needed to make better business decisions, and ultimately, harness the power that big data promises,” said Bhoola.

The “Is Big Data Producing Big Returns?” survey was conducted by Wakefield Research, an independent research firm, in April 2012, and surveyed 569 C-level executives, IT decision-makers and business unit leaders at top companies located in 18 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and South Africa.

For additional information or to download a copy of the executive summary, please visit http://www.avanade.com/bigdata.

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Avanade

Avanade provides business technology solutions and managed services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realise results. Avanade's people have helped thousands of organisations in all industries improve business agility, employee productivity and customer loyalty. Avanade combines the collective business, technical and industry expertise of its worldwide network of experts with the rigor of an industrialised delivery model to provide high-quality solutions using proven and emerging technologies with flexible deployment models - on premises, cloud-based or outsourced. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation and has 15 000 professionals in more than 20 countries. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

Editorial contacts

Raphala Mogase
the riverbed agency
Account Director