Leverage the Power of Big Data & the Cloudlearn.skillsoft.com/rs/skillsoft/images/APACFY15_WP_APAC... · 2019-09-13 · In a recent interview, Andy Walker, VP & General Manager at

Leverage the Power of Big Data & the Cloud

W H I T E P A P E R

Abstract

Today, rapid technological innovation continues to change the ways we do business. From trends toward the migration of business platforms and infrastructure to cloud solutions to leveraging big data analytics for improved decision making, these innovations offer new opportunities for both decision makers and organizational learners to make better, smarter, and faster decisions. Although big data and the cloud may sound like today’s hottest buzz words, their practical applications are so much more than hype as they can produce tangible benefits that impact your bottom line. This research set out to learn more about how big data and cloud solutions are affecting organizational learning across Asia Pacific, and what these changes mean for decision makers and learners.

Specific country reports for Australia, China, India and New Zealand are also available.Visit apac.skillsoft.com.au/2014_report to download.

EMPOWER YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH THE RIGHT SKILLS TO MAXIMIZE ROI AND BUSINESS IMPACT

White Paper | Leverage the Power of Big Data & the Cloud

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Background

3.1 Getting familiar with the cloud

3.2 So what makes big data BIG

3.3 Connecting the dots – how are cloud solutions & big data related?

4. Key Findings

4.1 Competency & perceptions toward the cloud

4.2 Cloud solutions investment & training budgets

4.3 Cloud solutions business strategies & adoption

4.4 Competency & perceptions toward big data

4.5 Big data investment & training budgets

4.6 Big data business strategies & adoption

5. Key Takeaways

6. Recommendations

7. Appendix: Research & References

4.1.1 Organizational learners struggle the most when it comes to understanding what cloud solutions are

4.1.2 Many learners believe their organization is underprepared when it comes to implementing cloud solutions

4.1.3 Decision makers & learners view cost reductions as a core benefit of the cloud

4.1.4 Keeping your data safe, secure and accessible – debunking common cloud solution myths

4.2.1 Decision makers face budget constraints when it comes to investing in the cloud

4.4.1 Many decision makers & learners still struggle to understand big data

4.4.2 Learners are more likely to believe their organization is prepared to leverage big data than decision makers

4.4.3 Decision makers and learners agree – business intelligence is a top benefit of big data

4.4.4 Feeling overwhelmed with big data? Learning is the best place to start

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4.5.1 Embracing big data? Learning is the first step


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1. IntroductionDecision makers across Asia Pacific agree, cloud solutions & big data are key to driving a competitive advantage

In a recent interview, Andy Walker, VP & General Manager at CSC, an IT services and solutions provider, stated that one of the biggest trends he predicts for 2014 is a refocus on the use and application of big data infrastructure as opposed to a focus on the infrastructure itself. In particular, Walker stated that “[2014] will be the year of ’What can I do with big data?’ rather than ’What is big data?’” (Walker, 2014).

Big data and cloud solutions may sound like today’s hottest buzz words, but don’t be fooled by the hype. Understanding the opportunities of harnessing both cloud computing and big data for your business could mean the difference between success and failure in today’s sophisticated and technology-driven business landscape. Walker’s quote above is both a statement on the reality of being a competitive business today, as well as a wake-up call for business leaders across the globe. That is, the time for passively observing the application and development of big data and cloud computing is in the past, the time for doing, is now.

No longer can decision makers and business professionals ignore the potential of big data and the cloud in how it affects their business outcomes, their team dynamics, and even their own career advancement. Embracing both cloud solutions and big data can have a huge impact on your business, from increasing your ability to scale quickly and effectively to leveraging your data as a means to discover new ways to reach and engage customers. Put simply, leveraging these kinds of technology can drastically enhance the impact your business is making, and can increase your return on investment (ROI).

Embracing disruptive change in your industry starts with learning

At Skillsoft, we believe the key to embracing disruptive change starts with learning. Fostering an environment built around lifelong learning can empower any business to nurture a smarter, more engaged, and more effective workforce. It seems there is still a diverse range in the levels of understanding of cloud solutions and big data and how we can leverage them as shown in our research findings. Today, remaining competitive while generating strong business returns requires the cultivation of a new mindset – a mindset where the impact of cloud solutions and big data touch every part of your business, be it Human Resources, Learning and Development, Information Technology, Sales, Marketing, Finance or Operations.

We wanted to learn more about how big data and cloud solutions are affecting organizational learning across Asia Pacific, and what these changes mean for decision makers and learners across the region. To do this, we commissioned an independent analytics agency to survey more than 600 decision makers in 13 countries across Asia Pacific to ask them how they are embracing big data and the cloud.

Today, remaining competitive while generating strong business returns requires the cultivation of a new mindset – a mindset where the impact of cloud solutions and big data touch every part of your business


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2. MethodologyThis study targeted decision makers – senior managers and other key decision makers – in charge of department budgets and learning/training program growth in organizations across the Asia Pacific region. The study also targeted organizational learners – individuals who have access to learning programs within their organization – to get a broader perspective on views and applications of big data and the cloud.

Two survey questionnaires were developed; one for decision makers and the other for learners. Both questionnaires asked a range of questions about the respondents own views and attitudes toward cloud solutions and big data, as well as questions asking how their organizations are investing and adopting cloud solutions and big data analytics. In total we collected 682 responses, out of which 54% came from decision makers (senior management and human resource professionals) and 46% came from learners (employees participating in learning programs).

Responses came from individuals across 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region, which included: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The survey also includes data from more than 300 large and medium-sized businesses and organizations across 20 industry sectors in Asia Pacific.

3. BackgroundSo what are cloud solutions and big data; how do they relate to each other and to learning; and how does this affect your business? This report won’t make you an expert, but if these are unfamiliar terms we can at least put you on the right path. Let’s take a moment to quickly define ‘cloud solutions’ and ‘big data’.

3.1 Getting familiar with the cloud

Chances are you already know what cloud solutions are in one form or another, but you may still be having trouble defining exactly what it is. We can formally define cloud solutions as:

A service which uses a model that enables network access to a shared pool of computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be modified and re-designed. These resources can be accessed rapidly since they are installed or located on the cloud server that is hosted on the Internet.

For our less technical readers, the above definition might be a tough pill to swallow. So let’s define cloud solutions by what they can do, rather than just what they are. Cloud solutions provide “a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software” (Knorr & Gruman, 2009). The cloud, in this sense, is simply a

Figure 1. Research scope and target audience

RESEARCH SCOPE

Decision Makers: Senior management and human resource professionals

Learners: Employees participating in learning programs Decision Makers

TARGET AUDIENCE


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metaphor for the computing resources you use when engaging with a cloud-based service provider. In the end, the cloud still boils down to a network of servers and software that physically reside in a building somewhere. The key difference is that these resources do not sit on premise within your organization.

One of the obvious benefits of cloud solutions is the outsourcing of IT infrastructure. That is, you don’t have to purchase and manage a large collection of hardware and software to run the applications which power your business. Cloud solutions allow you to outsource almost anything, from the servers that run software to the human beings that manage and troubleshoot this hardware. As an example, consider your company email. Some of you may have large-scale IT infrastructures where email hosting is still done on-site within your organization. However, the reality for most readers is that the hardware which houses all your email is sitting on a server somewhere outside of your organization, possibly in a different country. In fact, our research found that 60% of respondents stated their email systems have either already been migrated to the cloud or are planned to be moved soon.

As another example, let’s consider the software that powers your learning programs and resources at work. A Learning Management System (LMS) is a great example of a cloud solution. Indeed, there are still many providers that allow you to install and manage their software locally on your own servers. However, many learning solutions providers, such as Skillsoft, have moved toward cloud-based models for their learning assets and LMS. This means you can deploy their solutions easily and be up and running in almost no time at all.

SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS – It’s all about the cloud

There are many different types of cloud solutions. Some of the primary types include: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). We‘ve provided some simple definitions and examples of each below:

3.2 So what makes big data BIG

In contrast to cloud solutions, understanding big data is unfortunately not so simple. To make matters worse, there has been, and continues to be, a great deal of hype surrounding the term making it difficult for some to grasp its real world applications. Just take a look at the following figure which shows Google search interest for ‘big data’ since 2008. Notably, interest began to sky rocket in 2012 and is still climbing today. What we can take away from this is the popularity of big data has never been so high and it’s here to stay. However, a lack of education and overuse of the term ‘big data’

Cloud solutions provide “a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software”

Type

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Where a service provider hosts their software online (i.e. in the cloud) so you don’t need to install and manage it locally.

Gmail

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Where a service provider offers a platform (e.g. operating system programming language) on which developers can build applications.

Windows Azure

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Where a service provider offers computing infrastructure, physical or virtual, that you would traditionally house within your organization (e.g. servers).

Amazon EC2

Definition Example

Interesting fact: Skillsoft’s LMS Skillport®, is an example of a Software as a Service (SaaS)


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without proper context can cloud (no pun intended) people’s attitudes and judgments when trying to apply it to a practical application within their business. As Walker stated above, the time for discussing if big data is here to stay is no longer in question, and if you don’t already have a firm grasp on what it means for you and organization, you’ve got some catching up to do.

For the sake of clarity, we can define big data as: High-volume, velocity and variety information assets that demand cost-effective, innovative forms of information processing for enhanced insight and decision making.

Again, for the less technically savvy this may not be the most helpful of definitions, so let’s offer a different perspective. In his recently published book, Thomas Davenport defines big data simply as “data that is too big to fit on a single server, too unstructured to fit into a row-and-column database, or too continuously flowing to fit into a static data warehouse” (Davenport, 2014). In this sense, big data can be viewed simply as discovering something of value to the organization based on the processing and analysis of both structured and unstructured datasets.

So what is value in this context, you ask? Great question. Davenport goes on to state that there are typically three classes of value when it comes to big data. These include cost reductions, decision improvements and improvements to products or services (Davenport, 2014). This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it gives us fairly good sense as to what we can gain from investing in big data initiatives. We’ll explore this further in our research findings (see section 5. Key Findings).

The three V’s that put the B-I-G in big data

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2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Figure 2. Google Search Interest for “Big Data”

Big data is “data that is too big to fit on a single server, too unstructured to fit into a row-and-column database, or too continuously flowing to fit into a static data warehouse”

The amount of data being processed

VolumeThe speed at which it is collected and processed

VelocityThe variety in types of

data being processed (e.g. structured vs unstructured)

Variety


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Whether you’re a seasoned big data aficionado or just getting familiar with the term and its applications, you will undoubtedly come across the name Hadoop. We’ll spare you the technical details, but it is worth taking a moment to explain why Hadoop is so important when it comes to big data. Put simply, Hadoop is an innovative technical platform that brings big data to life by allowing you to cheaply and efficiently process large volumes of data regardless of its structure (Dumbill, 2012). It was specifically designed to solve problems where you have a lot of data to analyze with different structures or no structure at all (Turner, 2011). Put simply, Hadoop is the secret sauce that allows you to leverage big data to transform large and complex data into simple and actionable insight. However, it’s worth noting that although Hadoop tends to hog the spotlight, it is just one of the many platforms available in the industry to power big data projects and there are many alternatives available.

Putting it into context

So now you understand what big data is and how it’s beneficial to organizations, it’s time for a real world example of leveraging big data.

Skillsoft recently teamed up with IBM to embark on a joint development effort to put big data to work for enterprise learning. The goal of the collaboration is to develop “an enhanced adaptive learning experience for users with a focus on productive data-driven learning outcomes (Skillsoft, 2014-A). Some of the key components and planned outcomes of the effort include:

3.3 Connecting the dots – how are cloud solutions & big data related?

Now that we have a good sense of what cloud solutions and big data are, you might ask how they are connected? Although the two concepts may seem unrelated, nothing could be further from the truth. As stated by Edd Dumbill, big data and the cloud go hand in hand, as “big data needs clusters of servers for processing, which clouds can readily provide” (Dumbill, 2014). Put simply, cloud solutions serve as a delivery model for the IT services that make big data analytics possible. In a recent report by Intel on the growing importance of big data and cloud solutions, the author stated that “cloud computing offers a cost-effective way to support big data technologies and the advanced analytics applications that can drive business value” (Intel, 2013).

As an example, let’s consider the types of cloud computing we covered above, particularly SaaS and IaaS. A big data initiative will usually require both software to process and analyze the data and hardware (e.g. infrastructure) to collect and store the data. As a result, a SaaS provider would enable the processing capability, while an IaaS provider would offer the means to collect and store the data. This example shows just how dependent both of these applications are on each other. Without the cloud, leveraging big data simply wouldn’t be possible.

Development of an Engagement Engine

Mine usage patterns to understand users’ evolving interaction preferences in order to identify optimal times and channels to engage with users

Development of a Recommendations Engine

Create personalized learning recommendations leveraging user-content interactions and content consumption patterns

Development of new and innovative Visualization Techniques

Provide visual context for the recommendations to explain to the user why certain personalized content recommendations are being made along three different dimensions: people similar to the user liked this content, content similar to content the user liked, and popular content

Source: Skillsoft, 2014-B


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4.Key FindingsIn the following sections we present the findings of our research. Since we asked decision makers and learners about their views on both cloud solutions and big data, we’ve divided our findings into two core sections – Cloud Solutions and Big Data. Each section is then broken into 3 sub-sections:

4.1 Competency & perceptions toward the cloud

4.1.1 Organizational learners struggle the most when it comes to understanding what cloud solutions are

Respondents were asked how they would rate their current level of understanding as it relates to the term ‘cloud solutions’ on a scale of 1-10 (1 = Very Poor, 10 = Very Strong). Similar to the Net Promoter Score (NPS), we’ve categorized the respondents’ reported levels of understanding using the table below:

The learner segment reported having a slightly lower level of understanding with an average rating of 5.87, while decision makers reported an average rating of 6.65. Notably, decision makers within the telecommunications industry reported having the highest levels of understanding, with an average rating of 7.73, and decision makers in the finance and banking industry reported having among the lowest levels of understanding (6.10).

Sub-Section

Competency & Perceptions

Current reported levels of Decision Maker, Learner and organizational competency related to cloud solutions/big data as well as current perceived benefits and major challenges.

Budgets Reported past, present and forecasted budget allocations and trends related to cloud solutions/big data investment in technology as well as training.

Business Strategies & Adoption

Current adoption and implementation strategies for leveraging cloud solutions/big data employed by Decision Makers across different industries in Asia Pacific.

Description

Rating

1-4 Limited UnderstandingThey may have heard of the term but have a very limited grasp of what it means and what its applications are.

5-7 Casual UnderstandingThey are somewhat familiar with the term and are likely capable of providing a basic definition, but there is room for them to grow their understanding.

8-10 Expert UnderstandingThey are very familiar with the term and its applications, and likely have firsthand experience.

Level of Understanding Interpretation


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The figure above shows how respondents rated their individual level of understanding according to our three categories; 1-4: Limited Understanding, 5-7: Casual Understanding, and 8-10: Expert Understanding. 23% of decision makers stated that they have a limited understanding, while 38% reported having an expert level of understanding. On the other hand, 27% of learners stated that they have a limited understanding, while 33% reported having an expert level of understanding.

These findings highlight how there is a need to raise the bar for both learners and decision makers within the organization to increase their current levels of understanding of cloud solutions.

4.1.2 Many learners believe their organization is underprepared when it comes to implementing cloud solutions

Respondents were asked to rate what they thought their organization’s current level of readiness to implement cloud solutions effectively was (1 = Not ready at all, 10 = Proven ability to adopt and implement effectively). Again, using the NPS approach, we categorized the respondent’s ratings using the table below:

Rating

1-4 UnderpreparedOrganization is not adequately prepared to leverage cloud solutions.

5-7 ExploringOrganization is actively exploring the application and use of cloud solutions, and may have started to invest already.

8-10 Advanced Organization is highly prepared and ready to harness the power of cloud solutions.

Organizational Readiness Interpretation

Figure 3. Individual levels of understanding of cloud solutions

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1-4: Limited Understanding 5-7: Causual Understanding 8-10: Expert Understanding

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For organizational readiness, the learner segment gave their organization an average score of 6.24, while decision maker ratings were only slightly higher, with an average rating of 6.39. Notably, decision makers were much less likely to rank their organization as being underprepared (8%) compared to learners (26%).

In addition, a surprising 57% of decision makers rated their organization as being advanced. This is a good sign; however, when compared to the individual ratings of understanding, there are some issues with these findings. The difference between the individual knowledge and organizational readiness ratings tells us an interesting story. Most individuals, decision makers and learners alike, believe their organization’s capacity to benefit from cloud solutions is stronger than their own individual level of understanding. This represents a knowledge gap which could be a result of employees who sit outside of an IT or technical function and prefer to leave the issues of technology to their IT professionals. As stated earlier, the opportunity for leveraging cloud solutions requires a new mindset, and one that allows the application of the cloud to touch all ends of your business. With training, individual levels of understanding between decision makers and learners can and should become more aligned with the ratings given to their organizations.

4.1.3 Decision makers & learners view cost reductions as a core benefit of the cloud

Respondents were asked what they think are the biggest opportunities and benefits of investing in cloud solutions. In the following section, we highlight and elaborate on the top 3 perceived benefits reported by both decision makers and learners.

Figure 4. Organizational readiness rating

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Figure 5. Top 3 perceived benefits of cloud solutions

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16%Scalability

18%Mobility & remote access

26%Reduced costs

Decision Makers

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

15%Business intelligence

15%Reduced costs

29%Mobility & remote access

Learners


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Reduced costs are a tangible benefit, but the real opportunities with cloud solutions go beyond savings

‘Reduced costs’ was ranked by decision makers as the greatest benefit (26%) of cloud solutions, while learners ranked it as their second greatest benefit (15%). Reduced costs are a hallmark of investing in the cloud. Whether you are looking for a SaaS, PaaS or IaaS solution, cloud service providers offer an increased capacity to rapidly deploy software, systems and infrastructure at a lower cost. This means that you don’t need to buy and manage expensive hardware which is housed within your organization. That said, although reduced costs can indeed be a benefit to your organization when investing in the cloud, it shouldn’t be your only reason for doing so. Other opportunities lie with your increased capacity to generate greater returns, to be more competitive, and to increase efficiencies and productivity.

Cloud solutions enable freedom & increased mobility

Decision makers ranked this as the second greatest benefit of cloud solutions (18%), while learners ranked it as the greatest benefit (29%). Cloud solutions, such as SaaS, provide users with the increased capacity to be mobile and to access resources from almost anywhere. For example, if your organization were to invest in an enterprise cloud storage solution, you could easily access your files from anywhere without having to backup and copy the files to portable storage devices (e.g. USB flash drive). In this case, mobility and remote access means convenience and efficiency for learners and decision makers alike. As another example, consider an LMS platform. Here, mobility and remote access allow learners to access their learning resources from anywhere, at any time; whether you’re in the office, travelling overseas, or during your daily commute.

The cloud can help your business scale when you need it, how you need it

Scalability was ranked by decision makers as the third greatest benefit of cloud solutions (16%) while learners did not identify this as one of their top three benefits. This makes sense as learners are typically less concerned with issues related to operational growth. However, from a decision maker perspective, being able to scale up when you need it, and fast, can mean the difference between business success and failure. A common example of scalability can be found with IaaS. For example, imagine that your organization outsources its webhosting to a cloud provider and your website suddenly has a significant spike in traffic that your existing service subscription can’t handle. Most providers in this space offer the ability to quickly scale up so your business can adapt to the change without a service disruption. This is by no means the only type of scalability, as cloud solutions can help you scale across a wide range of functions and operations.

Cloud solutions can help your organization make better, more informed business decisions

Notably, decision makers didn’t rank business intelligence (BI) as one of their top three benefits. However, it was ranked third for learners (15%). This highlights how decision makers are thinking about cloud solutions more for their operational benefits (e.g. costs, scale, etc.) rather than their transformational benefits. BI is where analytics comes in, and involves the processing, segmentation, filtering and analysis of data to make optimal decisions. This is not unlike big data, with the distinction being that BI doesn’t have to necessarily be BIG (e.g. high volume velocity, variety), making it much less complex. Many cloud solution providers offer analytics tools that allow their customers to analyze, filter and drill down within their customer datasets to make better decisions.


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4.1.4 Keeping your data safe, secure and accessible – debunking common cloud solution myths

Now that we’ve looked at the decision makers and learners’ perceptions toward cloud solutions and their potential benefits, let’s look at what they believe are the greatest challenges or risks when it comes to the cloud.

The figure above shows the top 3 perceived challenges related to cloud solutions for both decision makers and learners. What is interesting about the response is that many of these issues have been addressed and debunked by researchers and/or solution providers in recent years. For example, CIO.com conducted a study in 2012 which surveyed IT professionals from across the globe on the topic of cloud computing and security/privacy concerns. They found that 85% of IT professionals who work directly with cloud solutions were confident in their cloud provider’s ability to provide a secure environment (Olavsrud & Muse, 2012).

In another example, Geoff Merrick of Cloud Sherpas, a global cloud advisory and technology services company, recently wrote an article debunking common myths related to cloud solutions. In this post, Merrick stated that “the cloud is at least as secure as on-premise solutions, and one could even argue it’s more secure… Just look at cloud providers like salesforce.com, Google and Amazon – their businesses are in large part based on keeping data secure” (Merrick, 2014). Merrick makes an important point here about cloud solutions, particularly that cloud providers are as much in the security business as they are in the software, infrastructure or platform business. Put simply, keeping your data safe, secure and private is part of the DNA of any modern and reputable cloud solutions provider.

So just how secure is my data, really?

A recent CIO study found that 85% of global IT Professionals feel confident in the security provided by their cloud providers

Response

Data security was ranked by both decision makers (35%) and learners (35%) as their greatest challenge/concern when it comes to investing in cloud solutions.

The general view here is that data stored in the cloud is less secure. This concern is expected, as there have been many news reports in recent years of some major data breach for a big name company.

The reality is that security standards for cloud providers can actually be safer and more secure than your own on-premise solutions. Security is a core part of any cloud providers’ business, and they invest a great deal of time, money and resources into ensuring your data is safe and secure.

Overview of Issue Reality

Figure 6. Top 3 perceived challenges of cloud solutions

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35%25% 40%

16%Data privacy

17%Network connectivity

35%Data security

Decision Makers

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35%25% 40%

Data security

12%

13%

35%

Network connectivity

Lack of skilledemployees to implement and

manage cloud solutions

Data security

Learners


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I’ve heard the cloud is unreliable? What happens if I can’t access my data?

What about privacy? I don’t want to risk revealing sensitive data about myself or my organization

Cloud solutions sound complicated, we just don’t have the right people to manage all this complexity

Response

Network connectivity was ranked by decision makers as their second greatest perceived challenge/concern related to cloud solutions (15%), while this was ranked third among learners (12%).

Planned or unplanned downtime from your cloud solutions provider can be frustrating, if not, devastating. Having migrated all your computing resources into the cloud leaves you vulnerable when downtime occurs.

Many cloud solutions providers pride themselves on their ability to offer you 99% or more service up-time. In fact, a recent academic study that researched service stability from 2007 to 2012 on a range of common cloud-based platforms found that average downtime was less than 0.09% (Cerin et al, 2013).


Response

A lack of skilled employees to implement and manage cloud solutions was ranked by learners as their second biggest concern (13%), while this was not ranked as one of the top three concerns for decision makers.

This concern may very well be linked to the low levels of understanding of cloud solutions that we observed among the learner segment. What this means is that if employees are not confident in their organization’s capacity to educate and train staff on the management of cloud solutions, they are likely to fail.

Most cloud solutions providers offer excellent support for their products and services to help you succeed. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need skilled employees within your organization. For this, the solution is simple – training. Employees need to enhance their skills and boost their knowledge so they feel confident in both themselves and their colleagues when it comes to managing cloud solutions.


Response

Data privacy was ranked by decision makers as their third greatest perceived challenge/concern related to cloud solutions (15%), while this was not ranked as one of the top three concerns for learners

Similar to data security, perceived issues related to privacy are often rooted in the belief that cloud solutions are vulnerable to attack, employ inadequate security measures, or are not transparent enough with how your data is accessed and/or used.

For any legitimate cloud solutions provider, this is simply not the reality. Microsoft recently debunked this myth in a study which surveyed 2,000+ respondents across Asia Pacific. In it, they found that data privacy was a top concern for decision makers at large companies. However, Microsoft affirms that they, like many cloud solution providers, “respect the privacy and confidentiality of your data and [they] contractually agree not to mine it for other purposes (Microsoft, 2014)”. Transparency is the key here, and most companies are legally bound to be fully transparent about how they use your data and require your express permission before using it for their own purposes or gain.



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4.2 Cloud solutions investment & training budgets

Respondents were asked a range of questions about their current and planned budgets as they relate to cloud solutions. Most notably, we found that overall 54% of decision makers currently invest in cloud solutions, while 22% of these individuals stated that their budget allocation for the cloud is between 1-10%. The second largest group (15% of decision makers) invests 11-20% of their overall budgets.

What we found particularly alarming was when we asked decision makers how much of their department or organizational budget is currently allocated to training employees on cloud solutions, a whopping 19% said they allocate zero budget to training in this domain. Despite this, most decision makers (29%) are currently allocating at least 1-10% of their budget on training/learning overall.

When asked if they feel more training is needed in relation to cloud solution investments, 68% of decision makers said ‘yes’. This was even higher for learners, where 75% stated they wanted access to more training and learning programs. With 19% of decision makers indicating a zero dollar spend on training for cloud solutions, it would seem as though investment in this area is low across Asia Pacific. However, the needle seems to be moving in the right direction. For example, 48% of decision makers stated that their training budgets allocated to cloud solutions have increased in the last 2 years, while 22% stated training in this area has just begun. Notably, only 7% explicitly stated that they do not plan to invest in more training next year. So, although training budgets seem low, most decision makers across Asia Pacific appear to understand the importance and need for more learning programs.

Learners within organizations value learning programs related to their job functions. When it comes to cloud solutions, they’re hungry to improve their knowledge and skills. For example, 57% of learners agreed that training on cloud solutions help them to perform better at their role, while 65% agreed that training in this space can contribute to their own career advancement, be it within or beyond their current employer.

19% of decision makers across APAC invest nothing in training related to Cloud Solutions

68%LearnersDecision Makers

75%

What percentage of respondents agree that more training is needed in relation to cloud solutions?

Figure 7.

Figure 8. Learner views on training

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

15%42%5%1%Training on cloud Solutions helps me perform my role better

21%44%4%1%Training on cloud solutions can contribute to my career advancement

7%26%20%2%Training on cloud solutions causes overlap between my job responsibilities and those of the IT department

Training on cloud solutions leads to higher expectations from my co-workers/manager 8%33%18%2%

2%7%43%18%Training on cloud solutions threatens my job security

Strongly AgreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly Disagree


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4.2.1 Decision makers face budget constraints when it comes to investing in the cloud

When it comes to barriers to investing, many decision makers cited concerns similar to the perceived challenges we covered in the previous section. However, we did see a significant percentage (21%) of decision makers state that the lack of investment in both cloud solutions and training was related to budget constraints. This is an unfortunate reality for many decision makers, but it is something they must overcome. Providing the right training to your workforce is fundamental to your business success when adopting new technology, processes and tools. Without a skilled and knowledgeable team, the benefits and rewards of moving to the cloud will be lost.

4.3 Cloud solutions business strategies & adoption

Respondents were asked a range of questions related to how and where they are investing in cloud solutions today. Notably, the biggest investors appear to reside within the Telecommunications and Computers & IT industries, followed by the Business Services, Finance & Banking and Education & Training industries.

Decision makers were also asked where they are currently investing the most in terms of business functions. Currently it seems that Information Technology/Information Systems, Learning & Development, Human Resources, Sales, and Marketing & Communications are the top business functions where decision makers have begun to drop on-premise solutions for the cloud.

Figure 10. Top 5 business functions adopting cloud solutions

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Technology/ Information Systems

Learning & Development

Human Resources Sales Marketing & Communications

Figure 9. Top 5 industries investing in cloud solutions

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Telecommunication Computers & IT BusinessServices

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Respondents were asked what types of cloud-based processes and applications they were investing in, or planned to invest in the near future. Across industries and business functions, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Email systems, Communications (e.g. instant messaging), Backup systems and Database & Storage systems were the hottest cloud solutions being adopted.

Notably, when asked which applications decision makers planned to move to the cloud, cloud-based office applications ranked first. This may be due in part to the rapid mobile-ization of traditionally desktop software. Microsoft’s entry to the tablet app market with Microsoft 360 is a notable example of cloud-based office applications.

Finally, decision makers were asked which processes or applications they have no current plans to move to the cloud. What’s worth highlighting is that both the first and second rankings were finance and accounting-related. Although the Finance industry itself may be one of the top investors, when it comes to finance-specific business functions and applications of cloud solutions across all industries, this industry sector seems to be lagging behind. The challenges raised in the previous section; particularly concerns related to data security and privacy likely play an important role in the industry’s apprehension to move these applications to the cloud. However, it’s interesting to note that from a service provider’s perspective, the landscape is rich with cloud-based enterprise finance and accounting software providers, all of which care a great deal about your privacy and security. As decision makers become more comfortable with cloud solutions in the coming years, the migration of financial and accounting applications to the cloud will definitely be an area to watch.

Figure 11. Top applications already moved to the cloud

46% 45%41%

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Learning Management Systems

Email systems

Communications (e.g. Instant Messaging)

Backup systems

Database & Storage systems

Figure 12. Top applications planned to be moved to the cloud

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Cloud-based office applications

Application testing in the cloud

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Project management

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As we observed in the previous section on budgets, decision makers and learners agree that more training is needed in this area. But what about hiring and talent management? 50% of decision makers stated that, within the last year, they have hired new talent to support the process of implementing cloud solutions, while 49% stated they have hired to support the maintenance and management of these systems.

What was even more interesting was that 52% of decision makers indicated that they have had to create new roles within their organization as part of their adoption strategy for cloud solutions. When asked about the title of these roles, 17% contained the word ‘manager’, while only 5% contained the word ‘specialist’. This suggests that the greatest need for carving out new roles and responsibilities within the business are more skewed toward management positions as opposed to functional or specialist roles. A fun fact: 31% of the titles for new roles actually included the word ‘cloud’. Who wouldn’t want to tell people they’re a Cloud Manager!

4.4 Competency & perceptions toward big data

4.4.1 Many decision makers & learners still struggle to understand big data

Similar to the competency questions we asked in the cloud solutions section, we also asked our respondents how they would rate their current level of understanding of the term ‘big data’ on a scale of 1-10 (1 = Very Poor, 10 = Very Strong).

The learner segment reported having a slightly lower level of understanding with an average rating of 4.79, while decision makers reported an average rating of 5.55. Notably, decision makers within the

52% of decision makers have had to create new roles in order to effectively manage their cloud solutions

Rating

1-4 Limited UnderstandingThey may have heard of the term but have a very limited grasp of what it means and what its applications are.

5-7 Casual UnderstandingThey are somewhat familiar with the term and are likely capable of providing a basic definition, but there is room for them to grow their understaning.

8-10 Expert UnderstandingThey are very familiar with the term and its applications, and likely have firsthand experience.

Level of Understanding Interpretation

Figure 13. Top applications least likely to be moved to the cloud

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Payroll Accounting and Finance Project management Database systems Email systems


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Education & Training industry reported some of the lowest levels of understanding, with an average rating of 4.17, followed by the Finance & Banking industry with an average rating of 4.43. On the other hand, decision makers in the Marketing & Communications industry reported the highest levels of understanding, with an average rating of 6.20. This is notable, as marketers reported higher levels of understanding than other industries like Computers & IT. Indeed, big data and its application to marketing is one topic where there’s no shortage of case studies, white papers or thought leadership. Just last year McKinsey published a report exploring how the future of marketing is being led by data. In it, the authors stated that “big data is the biggest game-changing opportunity for marketing and sales… particularly because of the unprecedented array of insights into customer needs and behaviors” (Court et al, 2013). Overall, the marketing industry has been exploring how to leverage big data for a long time so it comes as little surprise that this industry reported having some of the highest levels of understanding.

The figure above shows how respondents rated their individual level of understanding according to our three categories; 1-4: Limited Understanding, 5-7: Casual Understanding, and 8-10: Expert Understanding. 30% of decision makers stated that they have a limited understanding, while only 23% reported having an expert level of understanding. On the other hand, 41% of learners stated that they have a limited understanding, while 18% reported having an expert level of understanding.

4.4.2 Learners are more likely to believe their organization is prepared to leverage big data than decision makers

We also asked our respondents to rate, in their own opinion, their organization’s current level of readiness to implement big data initiatives effectively? (1 = Not ready at all, 10 = Proven ability to adopt and implement effectively).

Rating

1-4 UnderpreparedOrganization is not adequately prepared to leverage cloud solutions.

5-7 ExploringOrganization is actively exploring the application and use of cloud solutions, and may have started to invest already.

8-10 Advanced Organization is highly prepared and ready to harness the power of cloud solutions.

Organizational Readiness Interpretation

Figure 14. Individual levels of understanding of big data

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For organizational readiness, the learner segment gave their organization an average score of 5.12, while the decision makers’ ratings were lower with an average rating of 5.04. This might suggest that learners believe their leadership is more prepared to leverage big data then they actually are, and that learning programs across the board for both learners and decision makers are going to be critical.

Notably, decision makers were more likely to rank their organization as being underprepared (39%) compared to learners (37%). In addition, only 18% of both decision makers and learners rated their organization as advanced and fully capable of harnessing the power of big data.

4.4.3 Decision makers and learners agree – business intelligence is a top benefit of big data

Respondents were asked to identify the biggest opportunities and benefits of investing in big data. In the following section, we highlight and elaborate on the top 3 perceived benefits reported by both decision makers and learners.

The figures below show the ranking of the top 3 perceived benefits of big data for both decision makers and learners.

Figure 16. Top 3 perceived benefits of big data

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49%Market & customer insight

50%Creating a competitive edge


Decision Makers

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8%Creating a competitive edge

20%Increased productivity


Learners

Figure 15. Organizational readiness for big data

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Big data can empower organizations to make better, smarter, and faster decisions

Both decision makers (62%) and learners (39%) ranked business intelligence (BI) as the greatest benefit of leveraging big data. As we discussed in the cloud solutions section, BI is a massive opportunity for organizations to dig deeper into relevant datasets and find greater insights that allow them to make data-driven decisions. This is interesting, as reported levels of understanding among both decision makers and learners were quite low. Despite this, both decision makers and learners agree – big data provides unparalleled opportunities to make actionable and impactful business decisions. Take, for example, the Skillsoft and IBM big data initiative we discussed earlier. One of the outcomes is to develop a recommendation engine which leverages user-content interactions, content ontologies and temporal consumption patterns to provide personalized learning recommendations. This is a great example of BI because it isn’t being used to benefit just their global workforce; rather, it leverages BI to create an enhanced user experience for their customers.

Staying competitive today requires you to fail fast so you can succeed faster

Decision makers ranked creating a competitive edge as their second greatest benefit of leveraging big data (50%), while learners ranked it third (8%). We all know that failure is a natural part of running a successful business. You’re not always going to get it right the first time, or the second or even the third. Interestingly enough, the new mantra among many entrepreneurs and start-ups, primarily in the technology space, is that to succeed in today’s competitive business landscape you need to “fail fast [so you can] succeed faster” (McMunn, 2014). Big data, in many ways, is the major ingredient in the fail-fast recipe, and is key to creating a competitive advantage. Davenport (2014) stated that decision improvements as well as product and service improvements are two of the most desired outcomes of big data insights. Making better, smarter and faster decisions than your competitors, as well as improving and innovating your core offerings based on customer needs, is quickly becoming the gold standard to win in today’s technology-driven world.

Big data helps you know & understand your audience better

Decision makers ranked discovering new markets or customer insights as their third greatest benefit of leveraging big data (49%), while learners did not rank this within their top three. In many ways, this benefit is a microcosm of both BI and creating a competitive edge. We noted earlier how the key distinction between big data and traditional analytics is volume (e.g. size of dataset), velocity (e.g. speed at which it is collected and processed) and variety (e.g. structured versus unstructured). Traditionally, collecting and analyzing market or customer data was limited to the set of tools and structured data sources you had readily available within your organization. However, with big data you can now blend internal data (e.g. CRM) with external data (e.g. social media) to discover new customer segments and behaviours you didn’t even know existed.

Big data can help make your organization run more effectively

Notably, increased productivity was ranked by learners as the second greatest benefit of big data (20%), while decision makers did not rank this in their top three. This is notable, as learners believe that big data can help make them and their colleagues more productive and effective at work. This is absolutely true, as big data initiatives can indeed result in improved levels of productivity.

4.4.4 Feeling overwhelmed with big data? Learning is the best place to start

Respondents were asked what the greatest challenges are when it comes to leveraging big data. In the following section, we highlight and elaborate on the top 3 perceived challenges reported by both decision makers and learners.


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Unlike the perceived challenges related to cloud solutions, when it comes to big data the challenges seem to be more related to issues of knowledge and understanding and how to properly plan and execute a big data initiative. Below is an overview of the core challenges highlighted by respondents.

Big data seems like a huge investment, how do I measure my ROI?

Measuring the impact or ROI of big data initiatives was the top concern for decision makers (49%), while this was not ranked in the top three among learners. This concern is understandable as measuring the impact of ‘small data’ (i.e. your existing programs and initiatives) can be difficult enough. The size and complexity of big data initiatives can indeed be overwhelming, and knowing how to effectively measure the impact of your investment in big data can be a challenge.

With so much data, how do I make sense of it all?

Making sense of data in a meaningful way was ranked as the second biggest concern by both decision makers (43%) and learners (19%). If you recall, when defining big data, we like to use the 3 principles; volume, variety and velocity. This particular concern is primarily related to variety. That is, compared to traditional analytics where you rely on structured datasets you are familiar with (e.g. a customer database), when it comes to big data you are venturing into the unknown as you will be working with large, unstructured data that can be intimidating and hard to comprehend.

With all this data, how do I make a measureable impact?

Using big data to make a measurable impact was ranked as the third top concern by both decision makers (42%) and learners (17%). Similar to our concern about measuring the ROI of big data initiatives, applying the data to make an impact is critical, if not the primary reason for leveraging big data in the first place. However, knowing exactly how to achieve that measureable impact is no simple task.

With all this data, how do I know what’s useful & what’s not?

Learners ranked selecting the most useful data as their top concern (22%) while this was not ranked in the top three by decision makers. Given the volume, velocity and variety of data you work with on big data initiatives, knowing which data to focus on, process and mine can be a difficult task, and one that seems to be top of mind for learners across Asia Pacific.

Effective learning programs will empower your team with the confidence, insight, and creativity needed to spot the opportunities enabled through big data

Figure 17. Top 3 perceived challenges of leveraging big data

38% 40% 42% 44% 46% 48% 50%

42%Using data to makemeasurable business impact

43%Making sense of data in ameaningful way

49%Measuring the impact/ROI of investment

Decision Makers

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

17%Using data to makemeasurable business impact

19%Making sense of datain a meaningful way

22%Selecting most “useful” data

Learners


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It all comes down to learning

Knowing how to address and overcome these concerns is no doubt an issue of learning. Investing in proper training and education within your organization in relation to big data will ensure your teams possess the knowledge and skills they need to effectively plan, design, execute and manage a big data initiative. But more importantly, effective learning programs will empower your team with the confidence, insight, and creativity needed to spot the opportunities enabled through big data in the first place.

4.5 Big data investment & training budgets

A range of questions was asked related to budgets being allocated to investing in big data initiatives. As expected, budget mobilization in this area appears to be moving much slower than cloud solutions.

Overall, organizations in the Computer & IT industry appear to be making the most movement toward embracing big data, where 28% of decision makers stated that they have allocated 11-40% of their budgets to big data programs. However, the Education & Training and Finance & Banking industries appear to be more conservative when it comes to investing in big data, as 38% and 25% of respondents indicated they do not currently plan to allocate any budgets to big data initiatives in the next year.

Budgets appear to be moving slower toward big data investments, and it appears that training in this space has also lagged behind. For example, training budgets related to big data have been slow to mobilize, with only 39% of respondents planning to allocate budgets to training in the next year. This may not seem like a terribly low number, but when asked what percentage of their budget they plan to allocate next year, most decision makers said less than 10%. On the other hand, when asked if they think more training is needed within their organization in relation to big data, 67% of decision makers said ‘yes’, compared to 75% of learners.

4.5.1 Embracing big data? Learning is the first step

As we observed with the most common perceived challenges related to big data, the primary concerns that appear to be holding investment back seem to relate to knowledge and confidence. Big data may seem complex and intimidating, but building you and your team’s level of understanding, skills and experience is the best first step you can take before pulling the trigger on a big data initiative. Davenport (2014) provides some good advice here, particularly because he takes issue with the hype and faddish use of the term that often causes the less savvy professionals to balk at the very mention of big data. He states that “because the term is so imprecise, organizations need to deconstruct it a bit in order to refine their strategies and signal to stakeholders what they are really interested in doing” (Davenport, 2014). He goes on to suggest that when thinking about or planning an initiative, instead of saying, “We’re embarking on a big data initiative,” it’s probably more constructive to say, “We’re going to analyze video data at our ATMs and branches to better understand customer relationships” (Davenport, 2014). What he really means is, don’t rely on the

67%LearnersDecision Makers

74%

What percentage of respondents agree that more training and education is needed in relation to big data?

Figure 18.


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term big data to contextualize your needs and goals, rather, be specific. In this sense, the first place to start is learning. Whether you are a decision maker or learner, take it upon yourself to truly understand what ‘big data’ is and what it means for your organization.

4.6 Big data business strategies & adoption

Decision makers were asked where they are currently investing the most in terms of business functions as it relates to big data. Currently it seems that Information Technology/Information Systems, Sales, Engineering & Research, Marketing & Communications, and Finance are the top business functions where decision makers have begun to embrace big data.

Respondents were then asked what types of big data processes and applications they were investing in, or planned to invest in the near future. Across industries and business functions, Data Collection, Database Design, Advanced Reporting (e.g. operational measurement for benchmarking and decision-making), Analytics (e.g. segmentation and statistical analysis) and Predictive Analytics (e.g. development of predictive models, scenario planning, risk analytics and mitigation, integration with strategic planning) were among the hottest big data applications being adopted.

Finally, decision makers were asked what they think are the most crucial skills and capabilities that they need to nurture in order to succeed with big data. Analytics capabilities and technological savviness ranked first and second. However, the third most important capability ranked by decision makers was creative thinking (44%). This is great insight, as we typically expect to see and hear a great deal about the analytical and technical requirements of launching a big data initiative. Less often, we hear about the importance of creativity and thinking out-of-the-box when working with big data.

Figure 19. Top business functions adopting big data

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Informations Technology/Information Systems

Sales Engineering &Research

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Figure 20. Top processes or applications of big data

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Data Collection Database Design Advanced Reporting Analytics Predictive analytics


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When talking about the role of creative thinking when applied to data, Synectics World CMO, Connie Williams, stated that when planning a big data initiative we need to go “beyond [the] analytical approach to ‘see’ something truly new in the initial exploration” (Williams, 2014). As a result, we have to think both “creatively and analytically” to truly succeed with big data.

5. Key Takeaways

The time for doing is now

The time for ignoring big data and cloud solutions and how they can impact your business is in the past. Decision makers around the world have already begun to mobilize heavily around cloud solutions and big data. If you want to stay competitive in today’s technology-driven business landscape, you need to start doing.

Decision makers & learners agree that cloud solutions & big data can drive greater returns

Despite low levels of adoption of cloud solutions and big data in some industries, decision makers and learners across Asia Pacific agree that the benefits of both can drive significant, measureable returns for your business.

Cloud solutions & big data are not just an IT function

The old world of perfectly defined business silos is quickly disappearing. For organizations to truly succeed with cloud solutions and big data, decision makers need to understand that both of these can and should touch every part of their business.

Learning is the key to success

Planning and adoption surrounding cloud solutions and big data seem to exclude the role of learning, as budgets have yet to take off. However, both decision makers and learners agree that learning is absolutely key to successful adoption, and that more training is needed.

Learning is the best first step you can take to being prepared

Results show that relatively high levels of learners and decision makers categorize themselves as having a limited level of understanding of cloud solutions or big data. Learning can help lift these levels so organizations can move forward with effectively maximizing the potential enabled through big data and the cloud.

Figure 21. Top 3 capabilities for big data success

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

44%Creative thinking

45%Technology savviness

68%Analytics capabilities

What capabilities are most important for your employees to succeed in leveraging big data?


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6. Recommendations

Think about how you can leverage cloud solutions

The findings of this research showed that learning management systems are currently the top application which decision makers have already moved to the cloud, while cloud based office applications were most likely to be migrated to a cloud solutions provider within the next year. Whether or not these applications are a priority for you, it’s time to review your internal processes, software and technology infrastructures in all aspects of your business to see if there are opportunities to migrate these to the cloud.

Get creative with big data

Decision makers ranked creative thinking as one of the top capabilities required to plan, implement and manage a big data project. We can’t tell you exactly how to leverage big data, but we can tell you that it should start with thinking ‘outside the box’. Consider a business problem or challenge you’re currently facing, and then explore how data (and not just your data) could help you overcome that challenge.

Consider whether you have the right roles and talents in place

Ask yourself whether you have the right talent and roles in place to succeed with big data and the cloud. The research findings showed that analytics capabilities, technology savviness and creative thinking were among the most important capabilities needed to succeed with big data. Review your organizational structure and identify staff in specific roles who already are able to or need to be trained to support these initiatives.

Take stock of your existing learning programs

With 27% of learners stating that they have a limited understanding of cloud solutions, and 41% stating they have a limited understanding of big data, it’s time for you to take stock of your organization’s existing learning programs and determine whether they are meeting your business needs.

Assess your learners’ needs

Organizational learners across Asia Pacific are hungry to improve their knowledge and skills through relevant and engaging learning programs. With more than 70% of learners stating they want more training on cloud solutions and big data, it’s clear that many organizations are not currently providing adequate training. Assess your learners’ needs and identify where the knowledge gaps are.

Offer relevant, engaging and personalized learning experiences

Addressing learner needs is not only a matter of finding relevant courses and subject matter. Offer learners dynamic and personalized learning experiences that engages them through their learning journey in a flexible, customizable way. Support business agility and curate content to just what learners need. Blended learning programs may offer a good balance of elearning and traditional classroom training.

Get your budget(s) in order

While 54% of decision makers are investing in cloud solutions, the research findings showed that 19% of these individuals do not have any budget allocated to training. Training is a critical part of getting the most out of your investment in these areas and supporting organizational goals and business results. The research findings indicate that most decision makers plan to increase their training budgets next year; consider whether your organization is investing enough in learning.


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7. Appendix: Research & References

Cerin, C., Coti, C., Delort, P., Diaz, F., Gagnaire, M., Gaumer, Q., & Guillaume, N. (2013). Downtime statistics of current cloud solutions, (June), 2–4.

Davenport, T. H. (2014). Big Data at Work: Dispelling the Myths, Uncovering the Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Big-Data-Work-Dispelling-Opportunities/dp/1422168166

Dumbill, E. (2012a). Big data in the cloud. O’reilly. Retrieved from http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/big-data-in-the-cloud-microsoft-amazon-google.html

Dumbill, E. (2012b). What is Apache Hadoop? O’reilly. Retrieved from http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/what-is-apache-hadoop.html

Intel. (2013). Big Data in the Cloud : Converging Technologies. Retrieved from http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/big-data/big-data-cloud-technologies-brief.html

Knorr, E., & Gruman, G. (2009). What cloud computing really means. Infoworld. Retrieved from http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/what-cloud-computing-really-means-031

McMunn, R. (2014). Fail Fast, Succeed Faster: 5 Keys To Success. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ryan-mcmunn/business-tips-fail-fast-succeed-faster_b_4549025.html

Merrick, G. (2014). Debunking Cloud Myths: Cloud Security. Retrieved from http://www.finextra.com/blogs/fullblog.aspx?blogid=9534

Microsoft. (2014). Cloud myths debunked. Microsoft. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/apac/news/cloud-myths/all/index.html

Olavsrud, T., & Muse, D. (2012). How Secure Is the Cloud? IT Pros Speak Up. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/2397747/cloud-computing/how-secure-is-the-cloud--it-pros-speak-up.html

Skillsoft. (2014). Skillsoft and IBM Reveal New Capabilities for Big Data in Enterprise Learning. Retrieved from http://www.skillsoft.com/about/press_room/press_releases/april_02_14_ibm.asp

Turner, J. (2011). Hadoop: What it is, how it works, and what it can do. O’reilly.

Walker, A. (2014). Trends in Big Data: A Forecast for 2014. CSC. Retrieved from http://www.csc.com/big_data/publications/91710/105057-trends_in_big_data_a_forecast_for_2014

Williams, C. (2014). 5 Creative Ways to Leverage Big Data. Synectics World. Retrieved from http://synecticsworld.com/5-creative-ways-to-leverage-big-data/#

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Leverage the Power of Big Data & the Cloudlearn.skillsoft.com/rs/skillsoft/images/APACFY15_WP_APAC... · 2019-09-13 · In a recent interview, Andy Walker, VP & General Manager at