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How big data is changing the way we live

There’s no question that big data is everywhere, it has been reported that two and a half quintillion bytes of data are created every day, and this amount is surely only going to rise in the future. Anything we, or a business, is able to monitor collects data to be analysed.

With this staggering amount of data driving decisions around the world it’s no wonder big data is having an effect on the way we live.

At Home

Big data is starting to have an impact on our homes as they become more ‘smart’. As IoT devices start to connect our homes companies are collecting data based on our use and using this to improve the way we live.

One major impact big data and smart devices are having is through smart meters. These allow you to collect data on how much energy you are using, and companies can use this to decide how much to charge based on your usage. The data collected by smart meters is huge, with them collecting data every half hour and the expectation that every home in the UK will have a smart meter by 2020 this data is really going to change the way we live.

Big data also plays a part when hunting for a new home, all the data and information you would ever need to know is now in one place. The big data collected allows us to view stats on house prices, the area and much more.

Commuting

There is nothing worse than being sat in roadworks for what seems like hours on the way to work. One council in England is trying to combat this by using big data and real-time analytics.

Using traffic and weather sensors, as well as social media data they are able to analyse where the most congestion happens and what they can do to combat this. This data also helps them to cut down on those traffic jams and can help them plan future road construction. And with the development of self-driving cars the data being able to be collected on the road will surely grow.

Insurance companies are also using big data to decide how much to charge. Cars installed with telematic boxes allows the insurance company to collect data on how fast, how well and what time you drive. As a smart meter does, this data gives the company an accurate reading on how much to charge you. And the amount of data being collected by these boxes is staggering, in 2014 it was reported that one company collected over 10 million miles worth of data from 2 million vehicles in the space of 6 years.

It’s clear that big data is having an impact on our daily lives, in our homes and on our commute to work big data is at play and that’s not the only place it is being used. It is changing the way we travel, watch films, listen to music and even shop! The amount of data being produced by us on a normal day is huge and is only going to grow in years to come.

I’m excited to see how else big data is going to change and have a positive effect on my life.

How do you think big data affects you? Do you see the use of big data in your life?

KDR Recruitment is the home of the best Information Management and Data Analytics jobs. For more big data news and views check out the KDR blog or follow KDR on LinkedIn.

This blog was originally published on LinkedIn. To read the original blog click here

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