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TechTrade | 02 Aug 2012 :  US multinational IT firm EMC has told organisations to spot creative workers that can be up-skilled to become data scientists and drive new revenue streams. EMC, which employs 2,700 people in Ireland, believes the impact of data analytics on a business can be immense.

Data scientists work at recognising and developing trends and patterns from the huge volume of information generated by people and organisations, then using this information to produce valuable insights.

Jason Ward, country manager for Ireland, EMC, said: "Chief executives should get ahead of the curve now and start identifying people in their organisations who have proven themselves as both technically adroit and analytically creative. It is important not to confine the review to IT professionals; the Big Data team should draw heavily from disciplines capable of thinking beyond typical linear problem-solving."

Ward said investing in people through training and certifications will "develop a competitive edge and new revenue streams".

Big Data is already becoming popular in the retail market with developers using it to combine radio frequency identification sensor data, social media data and GPS coordinates to evaluate location. In the health sector, big data analytics is improving research methods by increasing the amount of information that's able to be examined. These developments mean researchers can examine likely outcomes of prescribed drug interactions, patients' personal medical histories and social and economic factors to improve treatments and outcomes.

Fiona Donnellan