After defeating the two biggest Jeopardy champions of all time, people are buzzing about IBM Watson. Reactions range from excitement over the possibility it represents, to fear over the potential impact on society. Count me among those who believe that this technology will have a positive impact on business, Government and humankind. With every new game changing innovation, there is always fear over the potential impact on humanity. However, a machine will never have wisdom. It will never have the ability to invent, have empathy, or match the knowledge and ability to reason of a smart, experienced human being. But this form of advanced analytics will help us perform better.
Strategic Technologies
Where is Business Analytics Going and how do I take Advantage?
Business Analytics will continue to gain traction in every industry, and several key factors make this a foregone conclusion:
- The expanding universe of data and the opportunity and risk that it represents
- The growth of social channels
- The growth in mobile interaction and resulting need for analytics
- The critical need for customer intimacy
- The growing need for differentiation through innovation
- The rapid escalation of complexity that surrounds business today
- An increasing focus on value creation, growth and revenue generation
- The critical need for smarter decision making
- A continued increase in computing power that makes real time analytics viable
- The continued delivery of new and improved advanced analytic capabilities
- The movement to make advanced analytics software business user friendly
A look at Trends in Analytics
In his Industry Trend Blog for 2010, Nenshad Bardoliwalla identified the top ten trends in analytics, business intelligence, and performance management. The author sees a vibrant market and a resurgence of innovation.
Gartner’s Strategic Technologies for 2011
Earlier this week at the Gartner Symposium / ITxpo, Gartner presented their list of strategic technologies for 2011. Four of the ten technologies fit squarely in the social technologies and business analytics space covered by this Blog.
Reimagining the Future 