Over the next decade, the number of servers managing the world's data stores will grow by 10 times.
However, the number of people with the skills and experience to manage the fast-growing stores of corporate data is not keeping pace with demand.
This is according to Louise Robinson, sales director of Database 360, who says if all a company does is keep storing more data, and is unsuccessful at finding the gold in it, then there will be little, if any, return on investments in that information.
“There is suddenly too much data out there, and while firms rush to mine it, they do so without adequate regard for the risks in keeping and using it, and all too often without the proper tools or know-how in how to get it right,” she says.
Robinson explains that organisations must not only follow all of the legal requirements in obtaining and managing data, but should also have the expertise to ensure that all of the information in a particular database is fresh, relevant and correct. “This is where real opportunities lie, and where many companies may miss the boat.”
She points out that information products have different properties to traditional physical products and are subject to different economics and risks. “Furthermore, the growing volume of data created as a by-product of this digital interaction brings with it significant benefits as well as risks.”
A recent study by analyst firm IDC found that in 2011 alone, 1.8 zettabytes (or 1.8 trillion gigabytes) of data will be created.
Hannes Fourie, IDC's senior analyst, says data explosion is one of the top three concerns that businesses worry about this year. Data has become more difficult to manage and it has become expensive to store, says Fourie, adding that it is important to manage data properly to comply with the regulations.
He notes that managing data needs specialised skills, which are scarce in SA.
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