Are you a big traveler? Websites like Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Hotwire used to do the trick. Skyscanner has taken the choice of flights and hotels to another level. While the websites work out deals with certain airlines, Skyscanner searches millions of flights and compares them for the user’s best deal.
How are these application developers gaining access to all of this big data? Companies release their API (Application Programming Interface) to the public. The big boys, Facebook, Twitter, and Google, allow software makers to have access to their data and use it in their own applications. APIs allow different applications to talk to each other by using a set of programming instructions and standards. In 2008, Facebook released Facebook Connect API. It is common to be asked for your Facebook username and password when you download an application on your phone or tablet. This platform allows developers to link their customers to their Facebook data. When an application is downloaded, an option to sign in with Facebook may appear. This is how the application gathers information about the user’s friends, location, and other data.
Big data applications are also becoming available to small businesses. Due to the shortage of data analytics professionals, Hadoop big data analytics pioneer Datameer has created a user-friendly application to help businesses with their big data. Datameer was created by Hadoop, an open source software framework for storage and large-scale processing of data-sets. A simple point, click, and drop allows the user to use analytics without having to be able to write code. A trained analyst is also able to use the program.
Datameer 2.1 was launched in 2012. With
plenty of upgrades, professional analysts can now create big data apps and
provide them to other users in the Analytics Application Market. The goal of
the Analytics Application Market is to save users time by not having to
recreated and start fresh whenever they start a new analytic project. Customers
of the market can now browse hundreds of apps and search for one to fill their
needs. Types of apps in the market include Facebook Network App, LinkedIn Pro
Network App, Earthquake Data Analysis, Sales Trajectory, Twitter Trending
Topics, and Website Traffic. There is a free version of Datameer 2.1 that allows the creation of apps. The creators of the apps are able to set the price at any number they would like. In order to actually charge for the app, you must purchase Datameer 2.1. A single user costs $299, a workgroup version of 50 users for $2,999, and an enterprise version for unlimited users is negotiable. Sources:
http://www.datameer.com/product/index.html
http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/big-data-app-store-opens-for-business/d/d-id/1106966
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303369904579423383203100794?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303369904579423383203100794.html
Nicely done! I had no idea that Big Data was so useful on not only a Corporational level, but a consumer level as well. It's interesting to me at the new avenues this opens for the regular guy to get in and actually make a profit from this kind of thing!
ReplyDeleteBig data just seems like something that is for big corporations, but knowing that average Joe can use big data to benefit themselves is really good to know. But it also seems like it would be an online privacy issue to give access to your Facebook to other applications to use, but at the same time linking things is a way to be more efficient. The trade off may be worth it.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of some of these apps, especially the Retail Me Not! The only thing I am not to keen on is that I would have to sign in with one of my social media accounts. I have done it before and it is such a pain when the applications post on your behalf to your timeline on Twitter or post on your Facebook. But on the plus side the fact that small businesses can jump in on the fun I think is awesome. Rather than large corporations running the show the smaller companies still have the opportunity to increase their target audience and gain more fans or customers.
ReplyDeleteBig data is a big problem for me. I don't like putting information out on a website just for it to get sold to the highest bidder later on down the road. Yes it works good to show peoples interest, and hobbies. Where does it stop though eventually you run into the issue of a persons privacy. I get emails everyday from companies I have never dealt with in my life. Just like the new apps, it's great that these start companies are getting help from Facebook and other big wig companies, but why don't I have a say so in where information about me goes. I just think there needs to be some restrictions put on big data for ones privacy.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog, I now realize how valuable big data is to the new generations and new generation of technology. I've downloaded the "Retail Me Not" application, and honestly I thought that it made profits off of companies and it was a type of marketing for companies. That might be slightly true, but I've never heard of Application Programming Interface and before this blog I probably would've never understood it. It seems like a simple concept, with such an intimidating name. I might re download "Retail Me Not", to see if I can analyze the information available and try to understand how application programming interface really works.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading your blog, I never really understood what Big Data is and I’m so surprised that I’ve used it several times before without even realizing it. I’m a frequent user of RetailMeNot and never put much thought into how the app worked until now. I also have the majority of my apps linked to my Facebook page only for the convenience of not having to remember a password. Big Data exists everywhere around us and we don’t even think anything of it. Using Big Data seems like a very efficient way to run a business. Programs like Datameer 2.1 make it easier to run a company because employees now have the ability to analyze large amounts of data and make sense of it.
ReplyDelete