Big data has become an integral part of our society and businesses across the globe are scrambling to find ways to organize and understand the vast quantity of information that is being produced day-to-day. What is big data exactly? According to Lisa Arthur, who wrote “What is Big Data?” the definition of big data is “a collection of data from traditional and digital sources inside and outside your company that represents a source for ongoing discovery and analysis.” Big data is important because we can analyze, interpret, and apply it in the real world to make life easier. In MIS 2502: Data Analytics, we learned about using data to predict the future. Using R, a programming language for statistical computation, we generated a decision tree to predict whether a person would default based on data such as their income and debt. Tesla is the epitome of a company that uses big data. According to the article, “How Big Data Drives Tesla” by Albert Ahdoot, Ahdoot states in October 2014, Tesla offered a “technology package” for an additional price that includes cameras and sensors that could predict a car accident before it happened. For Tesla to predict a car accident they would need to collect data first. They do this through the means of multiple sensors. Tesla is a unique company because they use their data to respond to issues. For example, in 2014 Tesla faced a problem where their cars are overheating, so instead of the drivers going to a mechanic or bringing the car back to the dealership, all Tesla had to do was send an Over the Air (OTA) update that automatically reduced the power fluctuations. Tesla also collects data through their autopilot software to map the road more accurately. The data they collect can show where cars have slowed down or avoided obstacles that are not conspicuous to the cameras of another Tesla car. Without big data, technology as we know it today would be very limited.
References:
Ahdoot, Albert. “How Tesla Is Driven by Big Data.” Colocation America, Colocation American Staff, 19 Oct. 2016,www.colocationamerica.com/blog/how-big-data-drives-tesla.
Arthur, Lisa. “What Is Big Data?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 15 Aug. 2013,www.forbes.com/sites/lisaarthur/2013/08/15/what-is-big-data/.
