Analyze this: the big demand for big data professionals.

• Author: Barnes, Nancy Dupre

The explosion in big data has led to a shortage of data analysts. This article explores records and information management professionals' options for pursuing opportunities in this burgeoning area of interest.

Big data--which ARMAI nternational defines as "An information dataset that grows so large it becomes awkward to work with using traditional information management tools"--is an expansive, transformational force that can produce value and innovation within an organization. With its capacity to encourage scientifically based, data-driven decision making, it is an economic game changer.

Through its capacity for robust data analysis, big data is driving improvements in operational metrics pertaining to product improvement, cost reduction, customer loyalty, sales expansion, and marketing effectiveness.

For example, as the nation's largest non-profit provider of health coverage, Kaiser Permanente gathers petabytes of data on its nine million customers. (A petabyte is approximately equal to 1,000 terabytes.) It was an analysis of Kaiser Permanente's patient outcomes data conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that led to the 2004 withdrawal of Vioxx[R], an often-prescribed pain reliever that was determined to be associated with increased cardiovascular problems.

'Internet of Things' Drives Trend

A major factor in the big data trend may be machine-to-machine innovation, or the Internet of Things, defined by Gartner Inc. as the "network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment."

With the advent of wireless (and mobile) communications and the deployment of these virtually connected devices, data collection efforts have evolved to include the capture and storage of auto-generated information.

For instance, in the utility sector, embedded components report on various electrical power or water consumption-related activities. And, in the transportation sector, the Internet of Things provides site-specific traffic flow monitoring to assist law enforcement in community safety initiatives.

Analysts Are in High Demand

At Gartner's October 2013 Symposium/IT Expo, it was reported that more than four million new big data jobs would be created worldwide by 2015. However, due to a shortage of qualified individuals, only one-third of those positions are expected to be filled.

Depending upon the specific position, industry sector, and organization, big data jobs can demand expertise in information technology, information management...