Report examines trends in big data.

• Position: BIG DATA

It's been talked about and written about at great length, but to what extent are companies actually addressing big data today?

A Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) survey of 1,217 companies in nine countries in the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America that was completed in January 2013 found that more than half (53%) had undertaken big data initiatives in 2012. The countries with the highest percentage of companies with initiatives were India, Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Japan, The Netherlands, and Australia had the fewest percentage reporting initiatives in place.

The level of investment in big data initiatives varied greatly, the report found: 15% of the companies with initiatives spent at least $100 million per company on those initiatives last year; 7% invested at least $500 million. On the other hand, nearly one-quarter (24%) spent less than $2.5 million apiece. The industries that spent the most on the initiatives were telecommunications, travel-related, high tech, and banking. Life sciences, retail, and energy/resources companies spent the least.

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More than half (55%) of the investments in big data initiatives went toward four business functions that generate and maintain revenue: sales (15%), marketing (15%), customer service (13%), and research and development]product development (11%). Only about a quarter (24%) of the investment went to IT (11%), finance (8%), and human...