We're headed for a Big Data-Internet of Things 'Big Bang'

By Paul Harman

Making the most of the Big Data/Internet of Things opportunity

The recent news about Microsoft researchers working on a new project aimed at securing low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) devices really caught my eye.

Hopefully, Project Sopris, as it’s known, will prove to be a significant step forward in the battle to protect IoT microcontrollers against security threats posed by internet connectivity.

It’s a positive play by Microsoft. One that delivers a welcome blast of reassurance given we all recognise security and risk as being the biggest concerns around IoT and its unstoppable rise.

This global proliferation of IoT devices is one of the three main reasons why Big Data is getting even bigger.


Because, depending on which analyst firm you trust, by 2020 we’ll see between 20 and 50 billion devices all collecting and distributing incredible quantities of data.

The second reason is the growing recognition among enterprises that their data is valuable.

Sure, businesses like Amazon and Uber worked this out quite some time ago and created global-scale business models based on the value of information.

Data-driven decision making

But nowadays, very few business, including SMBs, have cottoned on to the idea that they can make better business decisions around the data they collect.

Thirdly, it’s getting easier for firms to access, understand and monetise that data thanks to the availability of the right technology and tools.

As a result, we’re are headed towards a Big Data-Internet of Things ‘Big Bang.’ The financial opportunity - right through the channel - is immense.

At Westcoast, we’ve been investing in this opportunity for a number of years. We’ve built up a level of expertise around different Big Data and IoT technologies. That includes everything from IoT platforms such as the Microsoft Azure IoT suite, through to Big Data management solutions like HP Vertica.

Like Microsoft, we know about the importance of security when it comes to Big Data and IoT. We can offer our partners all the advice and consultancy on security they need as well as helping them to deliver leading-edge solutions from heavy-hitters like Aruba.

Read the first in the series of blogs around Westcoast’s Big Data project – Answering the questions that don’t yet exist